


BLACKOUT (m)

by bluesxde



Category: GOT7, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Blood and Violence, F/M, Heavy Angst, Post-apocalyptic AU, Smut, multiple character deaths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-12
Updated: 2018-11-12
Packaged: 2019-08-22 17:59:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 53,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16602824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluesxde/pseuds/bluesxde
Summary: post-apocalyptic au | angst / smutthe only thing left to do is survive.





	BLACKOUT (m)

It began with the same uneventfulness as any Wednesday morning could. You’d spent the morning getting ready to go to class, showering and collecting your books when the light in your dorm flickered. The room was briefly bathed in the cool blue daylight of early morning.  
_The building is old_ , you had told yourself. Nothing was that out of the ordinary, classes were always getting cancelled due to the failing electrics of the century-old campus. The dorms were no exception.  
It was hours later, when the first victim was taken. A girl in your dorm-building had been rushed to the nurses room, and then later an ambulance, her deathly pale body convulsing as blood-speckled foam dribbled from her open lips, and a bloody wound lay festering on her wrist. After her came another, only the ambulance didn’t reach him in time, and he was found still and cold on the damp grass of the campus as day turned to night and the moonlight shone on him like a spotlight. A blanket was lain over his body, a mark of respect as professors and staff frantically tried to find the route of the problem.  
The problem became greater when the white blanket rose from the ground, eventually falling and revealing a corpse-like exterior as his white eyes stared ahead at the multitude of medical and university staff laying before him like sheep to a fox.  
Watching from your dorm room, you and your roommate had gasped when he had risen. Calling him out as another hungover student, your roommate had stopped speaking the moment the guy lunged, sinking his teeth into the shoulder of one of the paramedics.  
Your heart stilled in your chest, and a feeling of dread seeped into your heart like black tar. Something wasn’t right.  
That’s when the darkness came.  
Lights turned off one by one, plunging you and your roommate into pitch black. Screams ripped through the dorm as people frantically moved from their obvious places at the windows, watching the muted and dark scenes before them unfold as the boy fed on the paramedic, pulling out his organs and feasting on them as if it was no more than a bowl of spaghetti and meatballs. Whilst the commotion continued for the next few hours, each body created by the guy – or creature – began to rise, terrorising and mutilating new victims, doubling the numbers of creatures rapidly.  
You frantically searched the news on your mobile phone for answers as video upon video flooded your social networking sites, showcasing the blackout and subsequent attacks. It seemed to be happening all over the world. Your brother finally called your phone after your own numerous failed attempts to get through to him, and you sobbed down the phone, panic grasping your throat and not letting go.  
“Y/N, listen to me. I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but mom and dad are dead. Everyone is fucking dead.” His voice was tight as he fought back emotion in order to keep you calm, “Hide. Hide somewhere right now, I’m coming to get you.”  
You silently thanked God that your campus was a short drive away from the town you had grown up in, “B-but, Namjoon, they’re everywhere.”  
“Please, Y/N. Hide somewhere and do not come out until I get there, do you hear me?” He said, his voice hushed as he seemed to be hiding himself.  
You cried, tears coating your cheeks as your roommate clung onto your arm, guiding you to one of the supply closets. She pulled out a key, and you were suddenly relieved that she had embarked on an affair with the janitor earlier that year. “Be careful, Joonie, please. Hurry.”  
“I’m coming Y/N.”

\------

Screams and growls emanated from outside where you were locked inside the closet with your roommate. Each sound brought nausea and fear rolling over your body in waves.  
“What the fuck is happening out there?” You shuddered, unable to process whatever was going on in the world right then.  
Your roommate shook her head, her eyes wide in the dark of the closet. “I remember hearing about some cases of extreme rabies up north, that’s all. I thought it would die out along with bird flu and ebola.”  
Something crashed loudly outside, and you both jumped, your roommate bracing herself on the door ready to stop anything from coming in. You were both breathing heavily, hearts racing as all manner of noises forced you to stay on edge.  
“Rabies? I thought that was almost extinct?”  
She shrugged at your question, eyes darting to your phone as it lit up again. “It’s Namjoon.” You said, clutching your phone tighter, “He’s outside.”  
Your roommate was quick to move, grabbing at anything she could find in the supply closet to use as a weapon, “We need to get the hell out of here, Y/N.”  
Distant screams still echoed outside, but it seemed quiet enough for you both to leave the closet.  
“I know where the fire exits are, there’s one not far away which leads to the entrance. That’s where your brother should be.”  
Once you were both out of the closet, you moved as quickly as you could. You gagged, tears forming in your eyes when you saw the dismembered remains of a few of your classmates. Their throats ripped out, stomachs disembowelled and some even had arms ripped clean off.  
“Y/N, come on. We have to move.” She turned to you, holding the snapped broom stick in her hand, her forehead beaded with sweat.  
You followed, walking gingerly towards the fire exit when you heard a rumbling growl behind you. Turning, you screamed in horror as you saw your old professor, drenched in blood and foaming at the mouth as his white eyes fixed on you. There was nothing of the funny, nerdy man who had taught your classes, just pure animalistic intentions as he hurtled towards you.  
Rushing out the door, you held a hand to your mouth as your roommate pushed the heavy metal door closed in time.  
“Go, now.”  
Clumsily, you both found your way down the wet steel steps of the fire exit, your heart soaring when you saw the familiar red Audi parked a few yards away. You began to run when you heard the crash of the metal door being shoved open as the creature snarled after you and your roommate. Namjoon stepped from the car, holding what looked like your father’s shotgun in his hand. He’s chest was stained with blood, and you began running faster, eager to check he was okay.  
The creature began catching up with you and your roommate at an alarming rate. Its footfalls growing closer and louder as it approached you.  
“Run! Fucking, run!” Namjoon yelled, aiming the gun and firing behind you as you and your roommate hit the ground and began speeding towards the car.  
A female scream behind you forced your heart to jump into your stomach as you risked a look behind you, tears instantly pooling in your eyes. The creature had caught her, and she attempted to fight him off, pushing away his awaiting mouth as she begged for you to help her.  
Namjoon continued to shout, telling you to hurry and to get into the car, but your movements paused as you waged an internal battle. Her face was crumpled in fear as her arms grew weaker, unable to keep the creature’s snapping mouth away from her for much longer.  
“Y/N! Please!”  
Your heart sank as you heard the desperation in Namjoon’s voice, and without taking another look, you turned from you roommate in time to see the creature’s head bow towards her throat. She continued to scream as you ran away from her, leaving her to be attacked by whatever monster had been made of your professor.  
As you got into the car, you saw her body convulse as the creature began heading for the car. Namjoon leaned out of the window, his hand poised on the trigger as he fired once, hitting the creature in the head and exploding his brains onto the windshield of the car and the pavement of the car park.  
Risking another glance at your roommate’s body, you filled with guilt as she continued to shake violently, blood leaking from the wound in her neck and pooling beneath her on the floor.  
Namjoon reversed the car, breathing heavily as you turned your head in time to see her body still suddenly, twitching slightly as her mouth lay open and her eyes rolled back, until they were completely white.

\------

**One year later  
375 DAYS SINCE BLACKOUT**

 

You had never been an advocate for violence. For you, violence never resolved anything, and only resulted in exacerbating the situation at hand.  
But as you watched your older brother cave in the skull of an infected, you figured that sometimes life called for a little violence – especially in circumstances as unique as yours.  
Namjoon scraped the gunk of blood, brains and bone from his worn-out hiking boots, breathing heavily as you came out from behind the wall he’d told you to hide behind when you’d come across the infected man. Your brother’s bravery never ceased to amaze you.  
“Come on, Y/N. We have to keep moving.” Namjoon pulled the wool hat he wore further on his head, pushing down his pale dyed-blonde hair to peek out above his dark eyes as he chewed on a lollipop.  
Funny thing about the apocalypse, people don’t really tend to bother picking up candy when they are stocking up for the end of the world.  
You both moved away from the body which now lay in the driveway of the home you were about to explore. The peeling paint and damp smell of the house filled you with dread as the boards creeked ominously under your feet. Your dry, cracked hands tightened around the bat you held, ready to swing it to hit the head of any threat you could face in the world as it was.  
Namjoon led you both through the draughty living area into the dusty kitchen. Overgrowth was beginning to bleed through the window pane of the small, pale yellow kitchen. Empty cans and discarded rubbish lay littered on the dirt-covered floor as you scanned the room, looking for anything you might be able to make use of. The odd knife and piece of wood always came in handy, for weapons and fire wood. A couple of abandoned raincoats which you found in one of the bedrooms were soon bundled into your backpack, useful for travelling in the increasingly cold climate.  
“I think that’s all we’re gonna find in here, Y/N.” Namjoon said, zipping up his own bag and picking up the shotgun from the floor. “We should get moving back before it gets dark.”  
“Okay,” You replied, pulling the hat from out of your coat pocket and dragging it over your matted ponytail. After putting on your gloves, you passed Namjoon a scarf, something he scoffed at before taking. He always commented on how you were like your mother, always being the mother hen. You didn’t like the thought of your brother freezing, especially when he had saved your life more than a handful of times in the past twelve months.  
Since the blackout, you’d both managed to travel almost half way across the country for a few weeks before your father’s car had ran out of fuel and then been taken by some scavangers. Namjoon was badly beaten that night, and you both camped beside the river, unable to sleep for fear of runners finding you both unconscious and easy prey.  
Runners, infected, biters – all names you and Namjoon used for whatever creatures had quickly spread throughout the country and the world in the havoc that was the blackout. You and Namjoon both knew you weren’t the only survivors, and while the idea of finding others was probably something you should both have aimed for, but Namjoon felt it would slow you both down.  
“Where are we going?” You had asked Namjoon one day after escaping a house which was home to vicious biters.  
“I don’t know.” He had said, eyes forward and jaw set, “Away from here.”  
So, that’s where you had gone, away from your hometown and into the wilderness of the post-apocalyptic dystopia you’d found yourselves in. Brief snippets of the commotion had been heard on the car radio in the few hours after the first biters were found – along with the causes for the worldwide power cuts – and from what you could gather, everything that had happened was planned. Put together by an organisation called The Rogues, a terror group set on stealing the earth’s power and using the land freed up by the deaths of millions.  
Namjoon had a theory about the runners – that they had been genetically engineered, or at least the virus had. He believed that it had been released before the blackout to put everyone into a state of panic, causing more people to die and thus land and resources to be freed up faster.  
Leaving the house, you both began the perilous journey to find shelter for the night. You both mostly managed to find numerous abandoned houses over the course of the past few months since losing the car, and the majority of them had been safe, with no infected finding their way in. Nights spent curled on hardwood floors and broken couches were the best you and Namjoon could get, and for now it was heaven compared to the alternative.

A couple of days later, you and Namjoon had made your way through a small town when you came across a wood. The hairs on the back of your neck stood to attention as you looked at the foggy forest wearily before meeting your brother’s gaze.  
“We have to go through, Y/N.” Namjoon said, tilting his head empathetically. He placed a hand on your shoulder, pulling you into a one-armed hug and rubbing your cold upper arm. “It will be a piece of cake, I promise.”  
You eyed him, knowing full well he was talking out of his ass. He had no idea what lay beyond the cold morning mist, and neither did you. That was what terrified you.  
Clutching your bat and hiking your backpack onto your shoulder, securing it in case you needed to run – which you anticipated greatly – you both began to walk towards the group of trees which lay at the edge of the empty street you’d found yourselves in. Your breaths, coming faster as you approached the edge of the wood, puffed out before you in clouds of white. Birds cawed in the distance as the overwhelming silence surrounded you and became even more apparent as you entered the dense forest.  
Chills washed over your skin, bringing up gooseflesh on the skin under your dirty camouflage jacket and thick black sweater.  
“Joonie, I really don’t like this.” Despite the amount of infected you and Namjoon had encountered since the blackout, you couldn’t shake the awful feeling of trepidation which came over you as Namjoon loaded the shotgun, snapping it closed as his eyes squinted, looking past the mist. Leaves and twigs snapped and cracked under your boots, and you found your eyes darting in every possible direction as the two of you slowly made your way deeper through the trees.  
Before the blackout, a place like this would never have been anywhere close to terrifying for you. More than likely, this is probably a place you would come to do your homework or hangout with your friends. But the smoky fog matched with the deafening silence had your teeth chattering with more than just the cold.  
Your head snapped to turn behind you. You could have sworn you’d heard something then.  
“Namjoon- “  
“You’re just scaring yourself, come on. The faster we move the faster we’ll be out of these woods. I’m sure there a clearing up here.” Namjoon continued to move ahead of you, and you watched his back, too on edge to look away for fear you would lose him in the increasingly thick fog.  
You heard it again, a sound not unlike grunts or muffled talking. Your hands tightened around the wooden base of your bat, to the point where your knuckles turned pale. “Joo- “  
A bullet shot past you, hitting a tree beside Namjoon and leaving a small hole where it had fired through the bark and deep into the trunk. Namjoon placed his hand over your mouth, muffling the startled yelp you’d made as he dragged you behind a tree.  
“Fuck.” He whispered, his eyes mirroring your own – wide and scared. You were breathing hard, almost hyperventilating.  
Who was that?  
Namjoon’s hand came back over your mouth as you closed your eyes. Whoever it was, they were close. You could hear the dead leaves crunching under their shoes, along with deep, unfriendly voices as they communicated with each other.  
Pulling you down to crouch with him, Namjoon took off his backpack, opening yours as he began shoving all of the vital equipment you’d gathered together into your bag instead of his. He was panting, his skin draining of colour as he worked furiously to give you all his ammo and belongings.  
“What- “  
“Shh.” He stopped you, hushing you quietly as he looked from your hiding place amongst the overgrowth of the forest, “You’re going to run.” He pulled out the emergency pistol he’d been saving, holding it tight in his palm as he fixed his shotgun onto your back with the straps of your backpack.  
Dread unfurled viciously in your stomach at the thought of leaving your brother. “No, Namjoon I won’t leave you- “  
“You have to, Y/N.” He took your face in his hands, wearing the concerned big brother look he usually wore when a boy had upset you. “Those people are Rogues. I recognise the clothing. You have got to get out of here.”  
“But what about- “  
He shushed you again, “I’ll meet up with you. I promise. I need to get rid of these guys, Y/N.”  
Tears leaked from the corners of your eyes as he placed a kiss on your forehead. You didn’t want to leave him. You couldn’t.  
“Whatever you hear, don’t stop running.” His voice cracked, like he was saying goodbye. “Understand? Don’t stop. I’ll find you.”  
You had no idea how on earth he could find you, and as your heart hammered, Namjoon stood and pulled you up with him before wrapping his arms around you, placing a kiss on the top of your head.  
“The minute I have them distracted, you run and don’t look back. Okay?”  
You nodded, tears cooling on your cheeks as you stared up at him with blurry eyes. He tucked a hair that had come loose from under your hat behind your ear, and stepped away from you, crouching with the pistol and moving towards where the Rogues were.  
The minute you heard a yell, you ran. You did exactly what Namjoon had said, and sprinted though the forest, slipping on dirt and leaves as you dodged trees, struggling to find your way in the fog. When you heard a scream rip from Namjoon’s throat, you paused. You knew Namjoon had told you to run, but you weren’t about to let him get himself killed.  
Pulling the shotgun from behind you, not knowing how to use it at all, you blindly fired up slightly above the direction where you knew the Rogues were. The force of the gun sending you plummeting to the ground, your back hitting the wet undergrowth. Voices yelled again, and as they began to get louder, you got up and continued running, the cold air drying your tears as you moved so quick your head began to spin and your lungs ached. The clearing was in front of you, and as you move towards it as fast as your legs could carry you, a bullet whistled past, catching the side of your jacket. You yelped, moving faster and faster, almost seeing spots as you found yourself in a corn field.  
Not wasting any time, you ran towards it, moving into the high stems of corn and hiding yourself as best as possible, trying not to move and disrupt the corn to give away your location.  
From where you hid, you had a view of the clearing, your eyes catching sight of two men, clothed completely in black. They wore masks covering the lower half of their faces, and they carried guns with large barrels on the end – silencers. One of the men had shockingly bright red hair, and towered over the other man who wore a baseball cap over his dark hair. Their eyes scanned the field, and obviously seeing no other option, they turned back, assuming you had gotten away.  
You continued to wait, not wanting to be seen. Once you were positive the men had gone, you stepped out of the corn field, ever atom in your body wanting to return for Namjoon. You felt sick, and as you fought to catch your breath, you hunched over, vomiting on the damp earth beneath you. Tears stung at your eyes, and you sobbed violently, wiping your mouth on the sleeve of your jacket.  
How could you continue without Namjoon?  
Your eyes searched your surroundings. You were literally in the middle of nowhere. No civilisation could be seen for miles, and you couldn’t remember the path you had taken in the woods. The gasps of shock, fear and distress made your throat dry as you continued to cry. Namjoon needed to find you, but how? He had no idea where you had gone, and for all you knew, he was de-  
_No. You couldn’t think like that._  
All you had to do was find a place for the night. You had the gun, but with only you, sleep seemed too dangerous. If you could get some food, you were positive you’d be able to make it a night without sleep until you found someone to help you. The thought of fighting infected alone made your skin crawl, and so you began to walk down the dirt path beside the corn field, hoping to find somewhere to go or give you some idea of where you were.  
As the day dragged on, your fingertips became numb, even with your gloves. The horizon seemed to go on forever, with no sign of life anywhere, and all hope seemed lost when the heavens opened and rain began beating down upon you, quickly soaking into your clothes and making your teeth chatter. Squinting through the heavy rainfall, you continued your journey, fear taking root in your stomach when the sky began to darken further.  
You wanted to cry with relief when you saw a small silhouette in the distance of what looked like a house or a barn, and you began to jog towards it, the rain dripping from your clothes. When you got near, you noticed it was a large house, and had been boarded up. Having a fairly small frame, you managed to crack open one of the windows using the crowbar you and Namjoon had found months ago, and you were able to crawl inside. The surprising warmth almost made you moan in delight, and you wiped your hands over your face as you quietly made your way through the lower half of the house, finding what appeared to be evidence of someone living there.  
You decided you would take only a few things. You didn’t want to steal, but your desperation took over, and you found yourself in the kitchen. Tummy growling, your mouth watered when you opened up one of the cabinets and found cans of beans and fruits of all kinds. You quickly grabbed a can, pulling open the top and removing your gloves quicker than you could handle. You dipped your fingers in, using them as a makeshift spoon as you gulped a mouthful of the beans greedily, closing your eyes as the flavours of tomato and basil coated your tongue. You stood for a while, finishing the can quickly before pocketing a couple more for the journey.  
As you made to leave, a scream got caught in your throat as you turned to see a figure watching you in the dark. Heart hammering, you apologised profusely as you moved past the man, yelping as your skull exploded in pain and everything went black.

\------

The metallic tang of blood coated your tongue as you came to, your head lolling forward and your chin resting on your chest. The dull, throbbing ache in your head forced you to wake, and you struggled to move your hands, quickly realising they were bound behind you, around the chair on which you sat. Opening your eyes, you groaned at the unexpectedly bright light which shone towards you.  
“Hey, she’s waking up.” A soft male voice spoke. The guy’s voice was deep yet somehow the least intimidating out of all of them.  
“Fuck, Taehyung put that flashlight away! You want runners to find us?” Another harsher voice spoke, the light was turned off and replaced with the faint glow of candlelight. Your vision was blurred, and you stared at the chipped, blackened wood floor in front of you. A pair of heavy boots came within your eyeline, and you flinched away, “Hey, you. Look at me.”  
Against the protest of your body and the pain in your skull, you craned your head to look at the figure before you. His brows were drawn together under his black hair as he looked down at you. He had to be at least six feet tall, and stood, broad and intimidating, dressed in a khaki coat and plaid shirt. His jaw was tense as he eyed you with suspicion, “What were you doing in our hideout?”  
“I w-was just looking for f-food, I’ve lost my b-brother. Please don’t h-hurt me-“  
“What the fuck makes you think you can take our stuff?” He crouched down to your eye level, his almost black eyes looking directly into yours, making you feel uncomfortable and even more terrified than you already were.  
“Jungkook, tone it down.” A stern voice spoke from behind him. Jungkook stood, his eyes not leaving yours as he spoke to the person behind him.  
“What do we do with her?” He turned around, “We’ve got her ammo and weapons. Can’t we just dump her somewhere for the runners to find?”  
You saw the first figure move from the corner of your eye, prompting you to look at him as he frowned at Jungkook. His hair was a light brunette colour, matching his eyes. He wore a black hoodie zipped up with the hood covering most of his head. “Jungkook, do you have to be so goddamn cruel? She’s just a girl, let her stay with us.”  
“Taehyung, we can’t afford to shorten our rations any more than we already have. We don’t have room for another.” The third voice spoke, stepping out from behind Jungkook. He wore a black t-shirt, with another black sweater wrapped around his waist. His hair was similar to Taehyung’s; a dark brunette colour, and his lips were plush and pink as he frowned at you. You looked down once you realised you had been staring.  
Your lip quivered as you realised you were done for. They had taken your belongings, and you were sure you were about to be thrown out as prey for the biters which lurked outside in the bitterly cold wasteland.  
_“One night.”_ The guy spoke, and you looked up to see he was looking at you, his eyes sternly watching you as if you were about to make a run for it, despite the fact you were bound by the hands and feet. “After that, she’s gone.”  
As his words hung in the air, he left the room, followed closely by Jungkook. Taehyung offered you a shaky smile as he stood, can of opened beans in hand, from his perch on the worn out cushion on the floor.  
“Here, you can share my food.”  
You eyed him wearily, hardly not believing that someone this kind could hang around with heartless people like that. Taehyung brought the spoon of cold beans up to your lips, and your eyes darted to his as you licked you lips. He nodded, signalling it was okay, and you opened your mouth eagerly. The taste of the beans filled your mouth, and you chewed slowly, savouring them. The presence of food made your tummy growl, and Taehyung gave you a sad smile, handing you another mouthful.  
Once you had both finished the can, Taehyung was kind enough to loosen the restraints on your wrist and ankles – though he didn’t undo them completely.  
“Why are you being so kind to me?” You asked, your chapped, dry lips barely able to speak above a whisper.  
Taehyung shrugged, frowning a little as he worked on the ties on your ankles. “We all need to stick together. There aren’t many of us left,” He murmured quietly, seemingly lost in thought whilst his hands pulled at the tightly woven rope.  
You chose not to speak further, seeing that the subject caused him some discomfort. He most likely lost family and friends in the blackout. The thought brought Namjoon to the forefront of your mind once again, and the stabbing emptiness in your chest returned with full force.  
Taehyung shuffled around the room, blowing out a few of the candles which were littered around the room, turning the warm candlelight into a soft glow. He shrugged out of his hoodie, revealing a slightly torn gray t-shirt underneath, and began arranging the sofa. He took one of the smaller pillows, walking over to you and placing it gently behind your head, propping your neck up and allowing you to relax a little.  
“Thank you,” You murmured. Taehyung smiled slightly at you, causing a calm feeling to bloom throughout you. You were somewhat assured that this guy wasn’t going to hurt you. The other two, however.  
You didn’t really want to sleep with those guys close by.  
As your head rested on the cushion behind your head, it hit you suddenly how tired you were. The back of your head was still sore, and you briefly worried if you had a concussion. Those thoughts couldn’t outweigh the exhaustion which filled every pore of your body, and soon everything began to fade and blur as you fell into an uneasy sleep.

 

You woke only once in the night.  
The room had been dark, and as you blinked, you could make out two heaps on the floor, and one on the sofa. You assumed the other two guys had returned from wherever they had gone and had come to sleep.  
As your eyes scanned the room, you lingered on one of the bodies on the floor. You obviously couldn’t make out who it was; with the windows boarded up, and no candlelight, there was no way of seeing much. The guy’s figure was propped up slightly against the wall opposite you. You had no idea if he was asleep or awake, but he didn’t move at all the entire time you watched him.  
Your eyes moved to his hand, and that’s when you saw the gun.  
You closed your eyes tightly, trying not to panic. Surely he wouldn’t kill you.  
Opening your eyes again, you saw the gun was gone. His hand was now placed behind his back.  
Your heart still pumped at the speed of light, but you closed your eyes again, praying sleep would take you and you would wake up from this nightmare.

 

When you woke again, the room was marginally lighter, but not by much. Taehyung stood at one of the windows with Jungkook. The other guy, who’s name you were still not aware of, wasn’t in the room. Taehyung turned as he heard you moving, and came over quickly, untying your restraints with shaking hands.  
“Taehyung, what the fuck-?” Jungkook whispered harshly, watching Taehyung with a mixture of fury and disappointment.  
“We can’t just leave her, Jungkook! I’m not watching another innocent person be killed by those things.”  
The pressure off your wrists made the blood rush to your fingers, and as Taehyung helped you stand, your legs gave way unexpectedly. Taehyung caught you, handing you your backpack and the gun they had taken away from you. It was fully loaded with ammo.  
“We’re going to have to run.” Taehyung said, pulling a rifle from behind the sofa as he hiked his own bag onto his shoulder.  
Panic rose within you. You still could barely use the gun Namjoon had left you. If you couldn’t be of use to them in some way, they had no reason to take you with them – or even to let you live.  
“Come on, they’re getting closer. We need to get to the garage now.” Jungkook bolted away from the window as the croaking, gargling noises from the runners reached your ears, along with the shuffling of their feet as they made it onto the deck towards the boarded up windows, their arms and heads banging against the weakening wood as they tried to get in.  
“Hurry!” Taehyung took hold of your sleeve, dragging you through the archway which led to the pain passageway of the house, and towards a door where Jungkook stood, waiting for Taehyung. A crash from the other end of the house startled you, and the snarling of biters grew closer as Jungkook aimed his shotgun and began firing as you and Taehyung rushed through the door to the black pickup truck. The other guy poked his head from the driver’s seat as he sat at the steering wheel of the rumbling vehicle. His eyes looked over at you for a moment, before he moved his sights to Taehyung and Jungkook.  
The door slammed as Jungkook pushed a large tool cabinet in front of the door. You climbed into the back of the truck with Taehyung as Jungkook held onto the open door, bracing himself as the truck began moving. He hiked himself into the truck, slamming the door as the truck crashed through the old garage door.  
Wood splintered and metal shattered as the truck sped through the door and onto the dirt road away from the house.  
Jungkook climbed through the small window, joining you and Taehyung in the back as he carried his gun with him.  
“Showtime.” Jungkook grunted, loading his gun and aiming it. You followed his eyesight to see around fifty infected racing after the truck. “You know how to use that thing, girly?” He jutted his chin towards your shotgun as he picked off runners, shooting them all in the head without missing.  
“Not like that.”  
Jungkook reached over for you, pulling you by the elbow to sit next to him. “Aim for their heads or their legs. Heads are a killshot, obviously, but catching them in the foot or the knee will buy you some time.” He put his gun down for a moment, taking yours and loading it. “Grab hold of it, and aim.”  
You did has he said, somewhat in shock that he wasn’t threatening to kill you this time. Keeping on eye closed, you aimed for a runner who was getting closer than you would like, following Jungkook’s instructions and aiming for its legs. Firing, you were almost thrown back by the force of the gun, but you had managed to strike the biter in the foot. It fell, and lagged behind the rest before recovering and starting to run again. It hadn’t killed it, but Jungkook was right, it had bought you time.  
Jungkook finished it off with a headshot, and after a couple more shots, and a few twists and turns in the truck, the runners were getting further and further away.  
“You’d better practice,” Jungkook said, reloading his gun before giving you an icy stare, “Because I won’t have us getting killed because of you.”  
He moved away from you, and you were left with a chill, not just from the wind. Sitting in the back of the truck, you wrapped your arms around your body. You were safe, but for how long? It felt like runners weren’t the only thing you had to be afraid of anymore.

 

The cold numbed your body as you continued to drive with the three guys who had reluctantly taken you under their wing. Snippets of their conversation had given you a little more information on them all.  
They were also looking for the Rogues. You didn’t know why, but at least wherever they were going, you would hopefully find Namjoon. Your thoughts kept rewinding to the confrontation in the woods, and the echoing screams of Namjoon as they took him – or worse. The fact you didn’t even know if you would see him again left a painful void in your heart.  
“Who did you say you were looking for?” Taehyung said softly. He was wearing his hoodie again, but he’d managed to find gloves and a scarf from inside his bag. Seeing his items of clothing reminded you that you had a hat, and you began rifling through your bag to find it before pulling it over your hair and frozen ears.  
“My brother. He got taken, in the woods a few miles south of here.” You dove into your bag for the book of maps – your one treasures possession. When Taehyung saw it, his eyes flashed with hope.  
“You have a map?” Taehyung asked, prompting Jungkook to turn in his seat at the front of the truck.  
Jungkook leaned through the back window, eyeing the small frayed book in your hands. “Are you kidding me? You’ve had a map all this time?” He laughed humourlessly and turned to the guy who was driving, “Jimin, are you hearing this?”  
“I collect them.” You murmured, a little embarrassed from all the attention you were receiving.  
“She fucking collects them.” Jungkook said under his breath, “While we’ve been driving around cock-a-doodle-ville for the past three fucking months, this little princess here has brought maps.”  
The driver looked at you through the rearview mirror, and his eyes seemed to shoot straight through you.  
“Let us see, girly.” Jungkook asked. You had an idea then, which sprung forth and gave you a spark of hope for the first time in the past twelve hours. You looked over at Jungkook, squinting at him in the winter sunlight which began to break through the clouds.  
“One condition.”  
Jungkook quirked a brow, and nodded.  
“You let me stay with all of you, to wherever the Rogues are. Once I find my brother, I’ll leave.”  
Jungkook shook his head, and Taehyung smiled proudly.  
“Fine. Let us see the maps.” Jungkook said, reaching a large hand out. You reluctantly gave him the book of maps, and watched as he muttered profanities. Taehyung smiled at you, and you returned with a smug grin. Looking at the rearview mirror, you thought you saw a ghost of a smile across the lips of the driver, Jimin.  
Turning, you watched over the landscape as it became bathed in sunlight and the harsh wind was blunted by the slight warmth of the sun. 

\------

**383 DAYS SINCE BLACKOUT**

An entire week had passed since the boys had reluctantly allowed you to join them on their quest to find the Rogues. According to Jungkook, they were based somewhere north, which meant travelling deeper into the unbearable cold which had grasped the horizon. Oil left from abandoned cars and gas stations had become useful in powering the pickup truck, along with the litres of oil Jungkook, Taehyung and Jimin had already saved, it looked like you could keep going for a fair distance before you would need to worry.  
During your time with them, you had become the most comfortable with Taehyung. He was the kindest of the three, always cracking jokes and telling stories of his life before the blackout. Along with information about his background, he’d also indicated that you were all roughly the same age. Jungkook was a few months younger than you, and Taehyung’s birthday was but a week from yours. Jimin was the eldest of you all, and you soon learned that he’d taken on the role of leader.  
Taehyung was the easiest to talk to, as he had no problem opening up. Jungkook and Jimin were the opposite. They weren’t fond of you, as you could tell, and Jungkook only spoke to you when he was ordering you around or making fun of you. Jimin on the other hand had yet to say more than one word to you. Being the only one of the three who could drive, it was up to Jimin to keep you all moving and out of the eyeline of any infected.  
Of course, that was easier said than done. The roads you took usually passed outside of cities, and that was where most of the runners lingered. Once in a while, a few stragglers could be seen on the outskirts of the cities and in the countryside, but the skyscrapers on the horizon were indication of where you had to stay away. The four of you would never be able to make it through a city – thousands of biters probably still inhabited there, looking for their next meal, or victim.  
Instead, it meant taking long routes around any major cities. You had no idea how long it would take for you to find the Rogues, and all you could think about was finding Namjoon. God only knows what had happened to him, and as ever day passed, the dread in your stomach became heavier and heavier. You’d all lost someone. Taehyung told you how he lost his parents and little sister within the space of ten minutes when a swarm of infected rampaged up on the line of evacuating cars on the freeway. It was only by the kindness of a passing stranger that he managed to escape with his life. Jungkook’s entire family were killed off – some became infected, and others were killed at their hands. Jungkook had been on his own ever since. Taehyung had no idea how he’d survived, Jungkook didn’t really talk about it much.  
Jimin was a mystery. Taehyung said he had a little brother, but he was evacuated and never seen again. It was assumed that he had been lost with numerous other evacuees which never made it out of the cities. Jimin also had a best friend with him – Hoseok. You’d had yet to fully hear what happened, but as far as you could tell, it had something to do with the Rogues.  
In the past week, you had managed to find useful things which Taehyung admitted the boys would have probably overlooked. You’d picked up old, rusted cutlery, worn, ripped and dirty clothes and even the odd bar of soap. Cutlery always came in handy for making small weapons which you could always carry with you, either to fight off infected or hunt for food. While the clothes were good, due to the harsh weather conditions and the vast amount of moving you all had to do, it was a lucky moment when you managed to find a new pair of shoes or a new jumper to keep you warm in the cooling weather.  
You were currently in the middle of patching up an old pair of boots you had found for Taehyung when you were approached by Jungkook. After taking a break from travelling, you’d all managed to find an abandoned trailer park where some of the trailers were still habitable. The place was fenced off, and Taehyung was using his savvy DIY skills to barricade the gates until you were all ready to move again. Jimin was resting in one of the trailers, and Jungkook had jumped for joy when he’d discovered one of the trailers still had running water. You all agreed to take turns taking short showers, and Jungkook was about to go for his own.  
“Hey, girly. Got that soap you found?” He held out his hand as he stood in only his plaid shirt. His coat lay beside the fire you had lit, keeping it warm.  
You put down the piece of thread and old leather you’d salvaged from another trailer before diving into your backpack. “Do you want lavender or vanilla?”  
He gave you an ‘are you kidding me?’ look, prompting you to hand him the lavender soap. You were saving the vanilla one for yourself, vanilla was one of your favourite scents and you’d been so happy to find it, even if it was only a small chunk.  
As Jungkook swaggered away, muttering about how ridiculous you were, you continued patching up Taehyung’s new boots, excited to reward him for being so kind and welcoming to you. Once you were finished, you turned from your spot on the ground and found him walking towards you in the same black hoodie he always wore. He placed himself down beside you, warming his sore hands at the fire, smiling brightly at you. Despite everything you were all going through, and the uncertain future you faced, Taehyung was by far the most positive person you had met in your entire life.  
“Hey, what are those?”  
You glanced down at the boots you were holding, and handed them to him with a smile. “I patched them up for you. Those converse aren’t going to hold up any longer.”  
He looked down at the scuffed, dirty sneakers he’d spent the past year wearing. He had attempted to fix them with duct tape over the years, but something had to be done. As soon as you had seen these boots in the last house you all searched, you knew you had to fix them up for him.  
“Y/N, you didn’t need to do that.”  
You blushed, “You’ve been so nice to me. I had to say thank you somehow.”  
A shy smile spread across Taehyung’s face, and you smiled back brightly as he took the boots gently from your hands. “Thank you, Y/N.”  
“You two done already?” Your head snapped round to see Jimin towering over you both, his broad shoulders encased in a wool black threadbare jumper, his brown hair was mussed slightly from where he’d slept, and his eyes squinted a little against the bright winter daylight – though it did little to lessen the intense stare he was giving you.  
“What’s up, man?” Taehyung asked, nonchalantly tying up his boots as you held some kind of strange stare-off with Jimin.  
Jimin finally looked towards Taehyung, causing you to slouch now that you were no longer under his penetrating gaze.  
“We’ve got to get going as soon as you’re all washed up. We can’t stay here, I’ve found too many entrances of runners.”  
You frowned, “But Taehyung and I looked around, the place is secured all the way round. We couldn’t see anything.”  
Jimin looked down at you, his eyes burning through you as if you’d just insulted everything he held dear. “Well, obviously, you didn’t look hard enough.” He nodded once at Taehyung, completely snubbing you as he walked off towards the pickup truck. You watched as he strode off, shaking your head.  
“He’s a little hard to get to know, but I’m sure he’ll come around eventually.” Taehyung said, nudging you with his elbow. You gave him a polite smile, looking over to where Jimin lugged supplies taken from the trailer park into the back of the truck.  
You began to wonder if you would ever gain his trust.

 

The truck chugged along as you and the boys travelled once again. The wind blustered as the heavens opened, and rain began to pour.  
“Looks like we’re all coming inside. Come on, you two.” Jungkook called from the passenger seat. The car shuddered to a stop and Taehyung helped you out of the back, before opening the door and allowing Jungkook to step out so you could get in. It was a squeeze, and you were let in first, meaning you were sat very close to Jimin. Once you were all comfortable, Jungkook slammed the door closed, making you jump. You felt Jimin shift slightly beside you, and then you were driving again. The warmth of the truck made your fingertips tingle, and for the first time in weeks, you felt like you could fall to sleep at any moment. The sky darkened outside, and soon the rain was hammering against the car, filling the awkward silence as the four of you were squished together.  
The warmth, along with the gentle lull of the truck, soon had your head bobbing as you attempted to stay awake. Darkness crept into the corners of your eyes, and soon you lost the battle with consciousness.

 

“Shit!”  
A force sent you hurtling towards the dashboard as you hit your head hard and was thrown back into the seat. Taehyung took hold of your arm, checking you over as Jungkook and Jimin opened the doors of the truck, getting out and firing into the darkness. The flash of bullets in the darkness was all you could see, and as Taehyung asked you if you were okay, you screamed when you saw a face with rotting flesh come up behind Taehyung.  
Taehyung turned just in time as he kicked his boot into the chest of the biter, sending it flying into the darkness, followed by a gunshot into the temple. Turning back to you, Taehyung touched your brow, and grimaced when he found blood on his fingertips. You gasped, pulling your hand up to your head. Cringing at the wet warmth you felt there, Taehyung pulled you up as Jimin rushed back to the door. His eyes scanned the blood on your face, and his face became ashen.  
“Is she- ?”  
“No, she just hit her head when we stopped.”  
Jimin nodded, climbing into the truck as Jungkook followed behind Taehyung. “We have to find somewhere for the night.”  
You laughed bitterly, suddenly pissed that now he wanted to stop for the night. “We could have just stayed at the trailer park.”  
Jimin didn’t answer, his hands tightening on the steering wheel as Jungkook gave a low whistle. His foot hit the pedal and he sped off, sending you back into the seat as he clipped an infected with the hood of the car.  
Nobody spoke, and instead Jungkook spent his time reloading all the guns ready for if any other runners made an appearance. The landscape was too shrouded in darkness for anything to be seen apart from the occasional shadow of a tree. After what felt like hours of travelling in silence, Jungkook pointed out the silhouette of a farm house. Jimin pulled the truck into the overgrown drive way, and the wheels crunching on gravel and god knows what else.  
Once you all stopped, Jungkook, Jimin and Taehyung pulled out their guns and did a quick search of the grounds as you began unloading the truck. The house looked empty, and seemed like a more than good enough place for the night. When they returned from their rounds, you all made your way quietly towards the door. Jungkook worked his magic on the door, picking the lock. Surprisingly, it opened, and you all took steps towards the threshold.  
“Don’t move a fucking muscle.” A voice said in the darkness, and with the click of a gun, you watched, without breathing, as the barrel of a rifle was aimed at Jungkook’s temple.  
You held your breath, waiting. Waiting for the gun shot, waiting for whoever was on the other side of that wall to put a bullet into Jungkook’s temple.  
Boots echoed on the wooden floor as the person on the other end of the gun forced Jungkook to walk, and finally presented themselves to the rest of you. Jimin had his hand on his gun, ready to strike if he needed to.  
Surprisingly, the voice belonged to a woman. She was tall, with brown eyes narrowed in suspicion as she eyed the group, her eyes moving slowly over each of you as you scanned her appearance. She wasn’t as intimidating as you had feared, but her face held a certain darkness which seemed common amongst the survivors you had met so far. Her long, poker-straight grey hair was tied back into a harsh ponytail, opening her stern features as her lips thinned. Her clothes were no better than yours, mainly black with a torn band t-shirt, ripped black jeans which were more worn than fashionable, and scuffed, black Doc Martens.  
“So, you’ve got a group.” She spoke, clearly with no hesitation in her voice. “Like to tell me why the fuck you think it’s okay to trespass?”  
Jungkook laughed humourlessly, “Hardly trespassing when the place looks like it’s about to fall apart, sweets.”  
The girl responded harshly, jabbing the barrel of the gun into the side of Jungkook’s head. “Don’t call me sweets, dickweed.” She eyed the rest of you, her arms still poised in position to end Jungkook’s life if she wanted to. “What do you want? Leave.”  
Jimin raised his hands, “We were just looking for a place to stay. We meant no harm, we’ll go.”  
Jungkook spoke, earning him another jab from the girl. “Are you fu- ?”  
“In-Ha! What’s happening, I told you to stay downstairs!” A man rushed from the darkened hallway within the house. His hair dark and his face wrinkled in worry. “Who are you?” He asked you all, his fists clenched.  
The girl, In-Ha, turned to the man. “These fuckers were trying to come into our house, Jin.”  
Jin watched you all closely, and once he seemed to see no immediate threat, he ordered In-Ha to put down the gun. She obeyed, and the gun was clutched at her side.  
“What’s your business?” Jin asked, coming to stand behind In-Ha as Jungkook stood awkwardly in the porch, his hands in his pockets as he eyed In-Ha with distain. She only returned his looks with a venomous glare of her own.  
Jimin took charge, looking vaguely towards you and Taehyung before speaking to Jin. “We were looking for a place to stay. We got ambushed by some runners a few miles back. We were planning to be on the move by sunrise.” Jimin’s authority made you feel somewhat secure, despite his outwardly frosty appearance.  
Jin nodded, his brows furrowed as he looked towards the floor with a look of contemplation on his face. You took a moment, admiring the man’s beauty. His lips were full and his cheekbones were high. He was a remarkably handsome man, with an air of intelligence about him. Where Jimin and Jungkook had a boyishly handsome charm to them, Jin seemed to have the demeanour of a grown up, and an attractive one at that. He was the kind of man you would have took home to your mother.  
Jin finally looked up, nodding once as he spoke. “You can stay the night with us. We have more than enough room.” In-Ha began to protest for a moment, and Jin quieted her. “We help our own, In-Ha. You know this.”  
She ended any discomfort she had with the idea swiftly, and sighed. “Fine.” 

\------

Jimin went off with Jin to discuss the distance between the house and where we had ran into the runners, leaving you with Jungkook, Taehyung and In-Ha.  
The atmosphere was awkward and tense, and after Jungkook and In-Ha’s more than unwelcome introduction, it seemed like nobody was going to talk. Once you had all gotten into the house, you watched as In-Ha locked the door again before pulling an iron curtain which had been concealed earlier over the doorway. Apparently, Jungkook had only been able to get in before because she had been about to collect firewood from the field a short walk away. You watched as In-Ha continued to secure the front of the house, bolting the windows and covering them with thick iron or wooden panels. It seemed like they had been here for a while, and their resemblance had indicated that they were most likely siblings.  
The reminder made your chest ache.  
The windows being as bolted as they were meant having flashlights or gas lamps wasn’t such a danger as it had been in the previous places you had stayed with the boys. It was nice to be able to see where you were sleeping. You had never been a fan of the dark yourself, and neither had Namjoon. Your parents had always had nightlights on hand in the few years that you had shared a room with Joonie when you were a young girl.  
You lay on a makeshift bed, chatting to Taehyung as Jungkook cleaned his gun in silence and In-Ha continued to search the entrances of the house, making sure they were secure. Taehyung allowed you to lay on his chest, and you felt comforted and safe. His finger drew patterns on your shoulder absentmindedly as he spoke, lulling you into near sleep. It was exactly what Namjoon used to do whenever you were both staying somewhere new for the night. You were never able to settle when you were in a difference place. There was always an opportunity for infected to get you, and the thought usually left a bitter taste in your mouth and a feeling of dread in your chest. But Namjoon could always calm you.  
You were happy you had made such a close friend in Taehyung. He was the only person you felt you could trust in this new group.  
Jimin and Jin returned, their boots thumping on the stairs as they came into the room. You locked eyes for a moment with Jimin. He looked tense, and uneasy. The look only darkened when he saw you.  
Did he really hate you that much?  
You looked back at him, hopefully with the same amount of hatred he dished out to you on a daily basis. His eyes flicked over your form as you curled next to Taehyung on the bundle of rags you would be calling a bed for the night, before he turned away, talking seriously with Jin.  
“What?” In-Ha got up from her seat. Her eyes were wide and her face began to redden. You had quickly learned that this girl had a short temper. “We are not leaving with those guys!” As she said this, she mainly gestured to Jungkook, who frowned as he stopped cleaning his weapons.  
You and Taehyung sat up, and you felt a momentary rush of dizziness. It was then you remembered the cut on your head. Ignoring the dizzy feeling, you listened to what the three of them were discussing.  
“In-Ha, we don’t have a choice. Runners are closing in on us, and if we don’t leave in the morning we could be in trouble.” Jin said, placing a hand on In-Ha’s shoulder, a form of brotherly comfort you so dearly envied. They have a truck, and room enough for two more people.”  
You frowned towards Jimin. Why was he so okay with letting Jin and In-Ha join the group, but he’d practically been forced to take you in? You stood up, angry and frustrated tears clouding your vision as Taehyung grabbed for you.  
“Y/N, please- “  
“No. I need a minute.” The increasing dizziness almost made you stumble, and you blinked away the tears as you walked blindly deeper into the house. The room you found yourself in was dark, and significantly colder than the room you had left. As your head continued to spin, you took deep breaths, your breath puffing out in pale clouds as you braced yourself on what looked like a kitchen counter. Darkness was closing in on the edges of your vision, and you began to feel weightless as someone entered the room behind you.  
“Taehyung, I’m fine- “  
“It’s not Taehyung.” Jimin said, his voice as cold and unwelcome as always when it came to you. Fury flooded your veins as you twirled around to face him.  
“You…” Your voice died out on a whisper as your head became fuzzy and your vision blacked out completely as your legs gave out beneath you.

 

Warmth surrounded you, and you felt something damp being continuously dabbed on your forehead. Scrunching up your eyes, you opened one to see two blurry figures over you. Groaning slightly, you managed to open your eyes fully, and your vision soon adjusted to the pale yellow glow of candlelight. Taehyung hovered over you, his smile growing wider as your eyes opened. He continued to dab your forehead with the damp cloth.  
“You’re awake. You had me scared for a minute.” You registered the mild headache buzzing in your brain, and your eyes moved over to the second figure. It was Jin.  
“You’ve just got a mild concussion. Nothing too serious I shouldn’t think.” He brought something small and white to your lips as he helped you sit up, the thin blanket falling off your frame. Your jacket had been removed, leaving you in your old grey t-shirt and black jeans. “Take this, the headache will go away.”  
You allowed Jin to place the painkiller onto your tongue as he moved to collect a canteen of water. You gulped the pill down, and greedily took a few more mouthfuls of water for your parched throat while you were at it. “Thank you.” Your voice was still a little croaky, most likely from being unconscious. “Are you a doctor?”  
Jin smiled sadly, taking the canteen from you and placing it back into the large navy bag he had beside him as he kneeled beside you. “I was. Before the blackout.”  
Deciding not to push him for information, you simply thanked Jin again and smiled warmly as he got up and took the bloody cloth Taehyung had been using to clean the cut on your head away. You turned to Taehyung, who was sitting cross-legged beside you, holding your jacket.  
“Are you cold?” He asked, holding it up ready for you to put back on. You smiled, slipping your arms into the coat and thanking Taehyung for helping you.  
“Oh, I didn’t do much, Y/N. If Jimin hadn’t caught you when you passed out, and carried you into here, we wouldn’t have been able to do much.”  
You tilted your head, momentarily amazed at what you’d just been told. “Jimin helped me?”  
Taehyung nodded, and you frowned, unable to decipher what Jimin wanted from you. One moment he was looking at you like you were dirt on his shoe, the next he was helping you and saving your ass from infected. What was his game?  
Choosing not to dwell on the whole situation, you decided to go and wash up while everyone else went to bed. You weren’t tired, and so you collected your backpack, and figured you would wash a few of the guy’s clothes and some of your own before you all began the journey into nowhere in the morning.  
As you bashed away worry at the thought of the unknown, you fixed your mind on one goal and one goal alone; Namjoon. Climbing up the noisy stairs of the house, you admired the fact that it was still mostly intact and looked as you imagined it had before the blackout. Pictured littered the walls, and the only indication that the house wasn’t filled to the brim with a family was the fact that all of the bedrooms had been boarded up. Every room was closed off with planks of wood nailed to the door frame, except the bathroom. Thankfully, somehow Jin had managed to keep the water running at the house, using the reserves of the town and his handy plumbing skills. You choose to take a quick shower, stripping off the sweaty and filthy clothes you had worn for an unholy amount of days now, and stepping under the lukewarm water. It wasn’t the most pleasant shower you had ever experienced, but in the current situation, it felt like heaven. You washed your hair with the bar of soap you hadn’t had time to use at the trailer park, revelling in the sweet, sugary scent as you lathered up your matted and dirty hair.  
Finally, you felt clean. You stepped out of the shower, slipping on some shorts from your backpack and zipping up your hoodie over your bare body. The outfit wasn’t practical at all, but it would have to do while you washed your clothes. The draughty house made goosebumps prickle up over your exposed skin, and you shivered, moving a little quicker as you scrubbed the soap with a pair of Jimin’s jeans. You’d unofficially been given the role of cleaner during the past week, though it didn’t bother you too much. It was what you were used to, and it gave you something to concentrate on. The dark became overwhelming, and so you left the bathroom to go and collect one of the candles from where everyone was sleeping.  
As you descended the staircase, you eyed the gentle glow of candlelight coming from the room, along with the sound of quiet snoring. Rounding the corner, you plucked one of the unlit candles from the side table beside a sleeping Jungkook before turning back to walk up the stairs. Your heart jumped when you saw a figure standing in the doorway of the kitchen, and you let out a little squeak of surprise.  
“It’s just me.” Jimin’s low, icy voice spoke as he stepped into the light. He had a cigarette in his mouth, and you drew your brows together.  
“Where did you get that?”  
Jimin lifted one shoulder in a half-hearted shrug, “I have a little stash. Why, you want one?”  
You shook your head, cutting off the conversation as you and Jimin stood watching each other wearily with mild dislike. The longer you didn’t speak, the icier the atmosphere became. When you eyed Jimin again, his eyes were travelling down your body, towards your bare legs, and back up again, as he took in your hoodie and wet hair. The temperature of your body unexpectedly spiked as his molten chocolate eyes rested on your face, before he removed his cigarette from his mouth and blew a puff of grey smoke into the darkness between you both.  
“Why aren’t you asleep?” Jimin asked, his voice low in pitch and volume. He leaned against the doorway as he spoke, watching you inquisitively.  
You tilted your head towards the staircase, “I’m washing our clothes. I slept earlier so I’m not sleepy.” You remembered what Taehyung had told you earlier, and you figured you should thank Jimin for helping you. “Thank you, by the way. Taehyung told me what you did.”  
Jimin stiffened slightly, “I didn’t do anything.”  
His reaction startled you a little, and you spoke slowly. “You did. He said you caught me when I fell, and carried me to Jin.”  
Jimin watched you for a moment, his jaw tense before he took the cigarette from between his lips once more and threw it on the floor, grinding it into the wooden boards with his boot. “Well, he’s lying.” He seethed, not looking at you as he pushed by you into the living area where everyone else was sleeping.  
You stood, shocked for a moment before taking the stairs back to the bathroom. Your mind reeled with his frosty rejection to the idea that he had helped you in any way.  
Jimin was a guy you couldn’t work out. And you weren’t even sure you wanted to.

\------

**384 DAYS SINCE BLACKOUT**

The morning came with a crash as you woke from your spot – seated against the bath on the damp, cool floor of the bathroom. You wiped the sleep from your eyes as you gathered the garments you had managed to wash the previous night and began walking down the stairs. Everyone seemed like they were awake, but you were unprepared for the panic you walked into.  
Taehyung rushed to your side immediately, your things in his hands as he shrugged on his jacket. Clearly it couldn’t be too late in the day as everyone still looked as dishevelled from sleep as you felt. In-Ha and Jin bundled belongings into bags as In-Ha looked over her shoulder towards the door.  
“Y/N!” Taehyung gasped, “I was just about to wake you.” His hair stood on end and his wide brown eyes shot from you to the door where In-Ha kept glancing.  
“What the hell is going on?” Taehyung shoved your jacket onto your shoulders and haphazardly pushed your backpack on your shoulder.  
“Runners are coming.” Jungkook said, watching Jin suspiciously as he walked over to the door beneath the staircase, “You’ve been going in there all morning. What the fuck is in there?”  
In-Ha took a step towards Jungkook, “Don’t talk to my brother like that. What’s it got to do with you?”  
Jungkook smirked, though the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “You’re both hiding something. If you’re coming with us, we have a right to know what shit you two are up to.”  
“Can we not fight? Let’s just go.” Taehyung, as always, was attempting to keep the peace, though as usual it fell on deaf ears.  
In-Ha squared up to Jungkook, “And just what are you going to do about it, shitdick?”  
Jungkook just looked down at her, and looked like he was about to speak before Jin yelled for us to hurry, startling them both when they realised they were almost nose-to-nose. In-Ha moved away so fast I thought she would bump into something, and Jungkook just watched her closely.  
“They are right outside, come on!” Jin yelled, closing the door under the staircase hard and carrying a suitcase. He pulled out a gun whilst In-Ha walked to his side, holding a bow and arrow.  
Jimin appeared at the door, opening it so hard it slammed on the wall. “We have to get out of here.” His eyes briefly met yours before he turned to run back to the truck. You gathered your things, running beside Taehyung as he pulled out a revolver and began firing at some infected approaching the house faster than you would like. You continued onto the car, not seeing the tall biter appearing out of nowhere.  
“Hey!” In-Ha yelled, running as she fired a bow and arrow, pulling out a small axe from behind her and jumping onto the wall which surrounded the property. She kicked the infected in the chest, before firing an arrow straight into his head, causing him to fall instantly. Once he was on the ground, she hacked off his head without hesitation. You could only watch in awe, as she grabbed your arm and pulled you with her towards the truck. Clambering into the vehicle, you saw as Jungkook watched In-Ha with one quirked eyebrow, reluctantly impressed. Taehyung grabbed the back of his coat, pulling him as Jungkook continued shooting infected away from us. Jimin leaned out of the truck, firing bullets at the other side of the truck. Jin hoisted himself onto the truck, hitting more biters with his gun.  
“Where the fuck are they all coming from?” Jimin yelled, sweat dampening his hair at the temples. If the truck stayed parked any longer you would all be dead in a matter of minutes. You decided to take action, even if you weren’t a great shot with a gun, it didn’t mean you weren’t useful.  
“Move,” You shouted over the commotion, pulling yourself through the window into the passenger seat. Jimin turned, briefly looking at you over his shoulder.  
“Get in the back, Y/N.” He muttered.  
You’d had enough, “Listen, I don’t know what you’ve got against me, but I’m not watching us all die here. Now fucking move!”  
A few seconds of astonished anger passed between you both before he reluctantly did what you said and swapped seats with you. Jungkook and Taehyung jumped into the back, and despite your limited knowledge of driving, you could definitely get the truck away from the swarm of infected. You put the car in drive, and the entire truck swerved as you spun the wheel, the tires kicking up dust from the driveway as you bolted from the house, infected running after the truck as Jungkook, In-Ha, Taehyung and Jin all picked them off one by one.  
Breathing heavily, Jimin watched you from his seat as you tried your best to direct the truck away fast as possible. With no other cars on the road, at least you didn’t need to worry about hitting anyone at the speed you were going. Your hands were shaking, and you tightened them on the wheel when you felt Jimin’s eyes on them.  
“I thought you couldn’t drive.” Jimin said, his voice unusually soft and quiet against the roaring of the engine and the bullets being fired behind you.  
You swallowed hard, your heart pumping a hundred miles per hour as you concentrated on the road. “My dad gave me a couple of lessons when I was back home. Nothing much, just the basics.”  
You saw him frown from the corner of your eyes, “Why didn’t you say anything?”  
You glanced over at him, momentarily halted by his untimely attractiveness. His hair was a mess, clearly he hadn’t been long awake either, falling over his forehead and his frowning brows in a dark mess, and his plush lips were parted as he waited for your answer. “You never asked.”  
You kept your eyes on the road after that, and once things from behind you hushed a little more, you felt comfortable enough to slow down a little. Looking in the chipped rear-view mirror you saw there were no infected, and Jungkook and the rest sat panting as they reloaded their guns.  
The sun rose further into the clouds, and the silence in the truck mixed with the gentle hum of the engine began to make you drift off.  
“Okay,” Jimin said, moving over towards you and kicking your foot off the accelerator, “I’ll take it from here.”  
You obliged, awkwardly swapping seats as he hovered over you for a moment before taking your seat behind the wheel. You sighed loudly, overwhelmed by the early morning chaos. Your eyes grew heavier, and soon the exhaustion of so little hours’ sleep caught up with you as you fell into a slumber in the passenger seat of the car.

 

You awoke to the gentle pull of the truck stopping. The sun was high in the sky and it shone brightly, offering little warmth in the increasingly icy atmosphere. As you shifted in the seat, you saw that something had been covering you whilst you slept. It was a jacket. You knew it wasn’t yours, and it didn’t look like the one Jungkook usually wore – not that you would expect him to cover you up from the cold. Taehyung arrived at the window as you attempted to work out who the coat belonged to.  
“Hey, you’re awake.” His wide, boxy smile was the only ray of sunshine you had in the current state you were in, and you always found yourself giving into the infectiousness of it. “We found an abandoned store, there’s still some food according to Jimin. You coming?”  
Leaving the questionable jacket on the passenger seat, you zipped up your own coat, following Taehyung with your backpack, moving things around to make room for any food you could find. It felt like you hadn’t eaten in days – probably because you hadn’t.  
The store was definitely abandoned, that was true. Windows were smashed, and various woodland animals scurried from your feet as you and Taehyung wandered down the barren aisles looking for the others. The shelves were almost empty, save for a few items in dinted cans and label-less packets. Deciding to take the risk, you took everything you could and shoved it into your backpack. You managed to find some energy bars on the floor, and you scooped up the few you could reach, most of them had been kicked under the shelves. One part of the store was exposed to the elements more than the rest due to the huge hole in the roof. Wind howled through the gap and sent a chill to the root of your bones. Vines and leaves had grown through a few of the windows and water dripped from the hole in the roof, most likely from the rain which had fallen while you slept. You gazed up at the clouded sky through the gap, and watched as a flock of birds flew overhead.  
“Over here!” Jungkook yelled, and you looked over towards the freezers to see him waving you and Taehyung over. He stood tall, opening the leaking fridges and eyeing all the defrosted and outdated food. “What a waste.” He muttered. People most likely would have left a lot of freezer food alone, given its short shelf-life, instead opting for canned foods instead – just like you and Joonie had done. “Steak.” Jungkook pulled you from dwelling on thoughts of Namjoon’s whereabouts for too long, holding up a box which read ‘Canadian Steaks’. “I fucking love steak. God damn it.”  
“Maybe if you cook it- “ Taehyung began.  
Jungkook eyed him as if he was an idiot, “The sell by date was eight months ago. I think we’re out of luck, man.”  
After wandering a little more around the store, you all managed to locate In-Ha, Jimin and Jin over by the storage cupboards. Jimin was kneeling by the door, fiddling with the lock. Jin and In-Ha watched him with hopeful looks.  
“What’s going on?” You asked Jin, standing beside him as you watched Jimin’s hands twist and turn something into the lock.  
“He’s picking the lock. If we can get in here, there will be tonnes of unclaimed food.” Jin murmured, watching Jimin closely as if he was saving Jimin’s lock-picking methods in case of emergency.  
Jimin grunted as he turned at the lock, “Nobody ever thinks to go in places like this. They just panic and take whatever they see.” He said without looking away from the door. He paused for a moment, warming up his hands on his jeans, rubbing the material on his thighs before trying again. It was only then you were momentarily distracted by how muscular Jimin was. You guessed it made sense, being a survivor in what could only be described as the apocalypse didn’t leave you room to be lazy. A sudden creaking sound followed by a click startled you from whatever daydream you were having, and you looked up to see Jimin standing and pushing the door of the store room open with a gentle shove.  
“Done.”  
The draught from the store room made you shiver, and you all followed Jimin into the darkness as Jungkook fished out a couple of torches from his bag. He tossed one to Taehyung and another to Jimin whilst Jin, In-Ha and you all stayed near someone with a torch. You were behind Jungkook and Taehyung with In-Ha whilst Jin and Jimin stayed close. Faint whistling from the wind filled the silence, coupled with the sound of your collective footsteps.  
The lights from the flashlights reflected off the steel shelving which held boxes which appeared to be filled with food. You all quickened your paces and almost ran over to the shelves, pulling boxes off the ledges and ripping them open, fuelled by your hunger. Cans were towered inside, filled with glorious things such as beans, hot dogs, canned meats and fruit. The treasure you’d all found made your mouths water and your tummies grumble. Carrying all you could carry, you went back to the car.  
You all got to the car, and Taehyung and Jin went back to get more while Jungkook and In-Ha arranged the boxes in the back of the truck. You approached the car, your arms filled with cans. You could hardly believe it, and your stomach growled at the thought of the feast you all would have tonight.  
As you made your way to the back of the truck, your eyes snagged on the sight of Jimin strolling around the front of the truck to the passenger seat. He opened the door and went to get something. You blinked in confusion when he pulled out what appeared to be his jacket. He shrugged it on over his black wool jumper, and adjusted the collar while you watched him, awestruck. That had been the jacket you’d woken up wrapped in. Jimin slammed the passenger door closed before his eyes found yours watching him. He didn’t break eye contact with you until you heard In-Ha screaming Jin’s name in a piercing screech.  
You turned, alarmed, to see Jin and Taehyung being held at gunpoint by men dressed in ragged closing similar to your own. They held their hands on their heads as they were guided roughly out of the store.  
“Fucking, fundies.” Jungkook muttered, and you turned to see him reaching for his gun. Before he could say more, two men grabbed him and In-Ha from behind, bringing white cloths to their mouths. You yelled, rushing over and beginning to hit the arms of the men. Jimin was restrained by another man, and he looked at you, his eyes widening as he shouted your name.  
“Y/N!”  
You turned around in time to see a sickly pale face, before the heel of his gun hit your temple. Everything went black and cold as you fell to the ground, Jimin’s voice fading away.

\------

Cold seeped into your clothes and soaked through your skin. Your hands were numb, as well as most of your face. Your cheek lay against the wet pavement, and you guessed you were outside. You had been awake for some moments, but you didn’t want to open your eyes for fear of what you would see. Wind howled around you, and tiny wet droplets of what you assumed – and hoped – was rain. You shifted a little, and felt that your hands were bound, as well as your feet. This was now the second time you had woken up like this, and you were quickly becoming pissed off.  
Opening your eyes slowly, you saw that it was almost dark. You had most likely been out for a few hours, and you briefly worried about the amount of times you had been knocked out lately. As your eyes adjusted, you saw you were in some kind of cage. A couple of lights surrounded the area, and you slowly attempted to sit up in order to get a better view.  
With a grunt, you managed to prop yourself up slightly on your elbow. You craned your head to look around you, and you saw Jimin slumped in the corner of the cage with you. You wiggled your way over to him, dragging your body along the soaking pavement. You shivered against the cold, and your teeth chattered as you tried to whisper to Jimin.  
“Jimin. Jimin, wake up.” He shifted at your voice, and you gasped when he tilted his face up towards you. He has bruises covering his cheek and jaw, and a cut sliced his lip with dried blood coating his chin.  
“Y/N?” He murmured. When he realised he was also restrained, he seemed to wake up a little more, his eyes becoming more focused as he followed your lead and sat up a little. “Turn around.”  
You followed his command, turning as he followed suit and moved so you were both back to back. His hands tangled with yours as he made short work of your ties around your wrist. Once you were free, you turned and quickly undid his too. He shook his wrists, wincing. You saw he had small little cuts on his knuckles too, and a part of you wondered if he had fought with your captors after you had been knocked out.  
Crawling over to the cage, Jimin felt along the bars, trying to find an opening. He located a lock, and checked his pockets, cursing when he came up empty handed. “They took my lock-picking stuff, bastards.”  
You swallowed hard, growing increasingly concerned about why you were in this cage in the first place. “Who are they?”  
Jimin rubbed his wrist, which also looked bruised. “Fundies.”  
You remembered that Jungkook had said that word moments before you were all caught, and you desperately hoped the others were okay. “What are fundies?”  
Jimin sat against the bars, his head tipping back and resting against the bars. “Religious wacks. They seem to think the runners being created and the virus, or whatever it was, spreading meant it was God’s will and all that bullshit.”  
You took in a deep breath, “How dangerous are they?”  
Jimin shrugged, “No more than a runner. The problem is, they are still humans and are significantly smarter than runners. Fair enough, runners are not easy to deal with, but they don’t have any real concept of thought like humans do.”  
You sat opposite Jimin, bringing a hand up to your head. The wound caused by being hit was small, but painful still. You felt the dried blood that had dripped down your face, and you winced, dragging in a quick breath when your finger grazed the gash.  
“That looks bad.” Jimin said, watching you from across the cage. He did something uncharacteristically kind and crawled across the cage to sit right in front of you, ripping off a part of the undershirt underneath his sweater, and dampening it with the rainwater which dripped from the roof of the cage. “Here.” He brought the damp cloth to your head, keeping away from the wound. He wiped away the dried blood slowly and gently. Neither of you spoke while he did this, and you felt weirdly on edge being so close to Jimin. You chanced a quick glance at his face, and you watched as his brows were furrowed with concentration. You studied his profile, your eyes dancing over his features appreciatively, stopping on his lips. You swallowed hard when his tongue darted out absentmindedly to wet his bottom lip.  
Blinking quickly, you looked away as he continued to carefully wipe away the dried blood from your face, his finger hooking under your chin and turning your head slightly back towards him to help him reach everything he needed to. When he’d finished, he looked down at you for the first time, his eyes widening slightly as if he’d only just noticed how close you were. His chest rose and fell on a deep breath and he continued to look at you.  
“That’s done.” He said, his voice sounding strangely deeper than usual. You nodded, still locked in the tense staring contest you seemed to be pulled into. The second Jimin’s eyes flicked down to your mouth, a loud crash of what sounded like a door slamming against the wall caused Jimin to practically jump away from you, looking for the source of the sound.  
A flashlight shone in your face, causing you to scrunch up your eyes against the shockingly bright light. The person who possessed the flashlight was shrouded in darkness still, and he unlocked the cage as you and Jimin watched, poised for attack. As the door opened, Jimin jumped forwards, and was pushed back with the flash of a gunshot. His body fell against the cage bars, and you screamed.  
“Now, now. Be a good little dog and stay here.” The man’s gravelly voice spoke, making every hair on your body stand on edge. His body moved, and you could make out his eyes in the darkness. They were locked on you. “Come with me, beautiful. It’s your turn.”  
Jimin groaned in pain, and you glanced over to him to see him clutching his thigh. Your heart lifted a little when you realised he hadn’t been fatally wounded, but your pulse fluttered as the man reached into the cage, pulling you out by your hair. You yelled and thrashed, attempting to hold onto the bars to prevent him from taking you, but the force of him pulling on your scalp brought tears to your eyes, and your fingers slipped from the bars as he dragged you by your hair. Your throat cracked as you continued screaming, and the man tossed you onto the floor as he moved to the cage to lock it again.  
Anger fuelled your actions as you looked around for anything you could see, adrenaline flooding your veins when your eyes came to rest on a sledgehammer a few meters away from you. Everything seemed to slow as you moved towards it, and you felt Jimin’s eyes on you as you grabbed the wooden handle, pulling it up with renewed strength and charging towards the man, who stood a good foot above you when he wasn’t crouched by the door. He turned towards you as you swung the sledgehammer with every ounce of force you could muster, watching as it slammed into the side of his head and sending his body falling lifelessly to the floor. Blood spilled from the caved in side of his head, and vomit rose to the back of your throat as you turned away, running to the corner of whatever room you were in and throwing up the empty contents of your stomach. Bile burned your throat, and tears pricked your eyes.  
When you were done, you heaved in deep breaths, hardly believing that you had just killed someone. You began hyperventilating, and you jumped when you felt Jimin’s hand on your back.  
“Y/N, we have to get out of here.” He was breathing just as hard as you, most likely from the wound in his leg. You turned to him, sweat beading your brow as you glanced towards the man’s body. You were about to move towards it when Jimin lifted up the keys he had found, “It’s okay. Come on.” He took your hand, and limped towards the door.  
“Are you okay walking?”  
“Yes,” He whispered, pulling you along by your hand. He checked around the corner, looking down the empty corridor, “We need to find the others and get the fuck out of here. What did he mean when he said it was ‘your turn’?” He was talking half to you, half to himself. You could only shake your head. You didn’t know anything, and you were shaking as you both quietly began to walk down the corridor. Your footsteps sounded too loud in the eerie silence, and you felt along the wall in the dark hallway, your fingers grazing the rough exposed bricks. You pulled at Jimin’s hand when you felt the wooden frame of a door way, and he moved after you, checking nobody was inside through the dusty window before you both entered. It was a classroom, that much you could see. Unblocked windows let in moonlight which began to beam through the glass, giving the room some light. A large chalkboard adorned the wall, half of it having been smashed, laying on the floor in heaps of sharp black slate. On the remaining surface of the blackboard, you saw writing. As your eyes adjusted, you could make out the words.

_**WHEN THERE IS NO MORE ROOM IN HELL, THE DEAD WILL WALK THE EARTH** _

The quote brought a chill to your skin, and Jimin followed your eyeline, reading the quote.  
“Voodoo.” He muttered, “These people are crazier than I thought.” He went to the window, looking into the darkness. It brought no comfort of where the others were, and he reached out for your hand once again.  
You told yourself that he was just holding your hand because you needed to stay together, but when the vivid memory of what you had seen before you were knocked out by the fundies flashed back to your mind, you were convinced that he cared about you more than he was letting on. He lead you to another door, one which revealed a faint glow the closer you got to it. The glow looked like it came from candlelight, and both hope and dread filled your stomach.  
You both arrived at the door, looking through the blurred, dirty window again. You could see another room opposite, behind two double doors. You grew concerned at what you were about to walk into, but you let Jimin lead the way anyway.  
Checking the corridor again, you both rushed towards the double doors, looking towards the candlelight and gasping quietly when you saw Taehyung and In-Ha, their bodies strapped to large boards. They were restrained to the boards, their hands and feet tied with what looked like rope. In-Ha looked almost as badly beaten as Jimin, an indication that she had tried to fight back. In the short time you had known her, the concept didn’t surprise you at all. Taehyung was unconscious, his head lolling to the side as he lay strapped to the board also, surrounded by candles.  
“What the fuck is going on?”  
As Jimin slowly opened the door into the room, you made sure to stay in the darkness until you had both made sure nobody else was in the room. You both jumped and lurked in the shadows when a man approached the pair, clothed in black robes. He approached the small table which sat in front of Taehyung and In-Ha. On it, lay a knife and a book. He took the knife, approaching In-Ha as she thrashed and screamed.  
You couldn’t watch this happen. And you didn’t need to.  
As the man brought the knife to In-Ha’s neck, chanting something unintelligible, a figure appeared from the shadows opposite you and Jimin, coming out of nowhere and slamming a chair into the man’s face. He fell to the floor, blood spilling from his nose and mouth as the figure charged at him once more. As he came into the light, you saw it was Jungkook. His face was red with fury as he took the leg of the now broken chair, snapping it on his thigh before driving the splintered part of wood deep into the man’s chest. His chest was heaving as he rushed towards Taehyung and In-Ha. You and Jimin followed suit, rushing over to Jungkook, hand in hand.  
Jungkook greeted Jimin with a quick hug, moving to undo In-Ha’s ties and setting her on the floor as she watched, her face pale. It was the first time you had seen her scared.  
“I saw you both come in. I’ve been hiding in here for twenty fucking minutes waiting for an opportunity to kill that fucker.” He began undoing Taehyung’s ties, gently tapping his face in an attempt to wake him up. Now you were close, blood dribbled from a cut on Taehyung’s head, and it was clear he had been knocked out.  
“Tae, come on, man. Wake up for me.” Jungkook said softly. Despite his cold exterior, it was clear how close to Taehyung Jungkook was, and it warmed your heart to see that Taehyung had someone else looking out for him too.  
Jimin walked over to the table, opening the cupboard which was underneath. He whispered a curse when he found all of our belongings. “Our stuff. Thank fucking god.” He pulled out his stuff along with everyone else’s, he handed you your backpack and you shrugged it on after taking out your shotgun. Jimin tossed In-Ha her things, as she looked wide eyed.  
“Where’s Jin?” She asked, catching the bag. Jimin gave her Jin’s stuff as he pulled out a gun.  
“We’ll find him, don’t worry.” He said. You’d never seen him being so kind, and his recent kindness awoke something unexpected within you.  
Unable to wake Taehyung, Jungkook untied him and pulled him up onto his shoulder. He took his gun in one hand and held onto Taehyung’s back with the other. “We have to find Jin and get the fuck out of here. I don’t know what they had planned for you two but it doesn’t look pretty.”  
Rushing through the doors Jungkook had come through, he lead you all to another room. In there was a small hole in the wall. It was big enough for maybe one person to go through, and when you looked through it, you gasped.  
Jin.  
Jin sat gagged and tied up in the room, surrounded by people who shuffled around him. They were wearing medical clothing, and when In-Ha looked through, she grew furious.  
“What the fuck are they doing?” She muttered, tilting her head slightly to look further into the room. She gasped, and moved away from the hole.  
Jimin moved forward, asking what she had seen and she pointed to the crack in the wall. “What the hell are those things?”  
When Jimin looked through, his jaw tensed and he moved away, looking at the rest of the group. “We need to get him out of there.” He loaded his gun, “They are making something. Using people.”  
You grew confused, and looked through the crack yourself. Off in the far left side of the room sat around ten or fifteen people. Looking closer, you saw they weren’t people anymore. Their faces were lifeless and pale. Their eyes dark and surrounded by dark purple bruises, looking at them closely, you saw none of them had hair, and instead they had large stitches on the left side of their heads. Every single one of them had the same dead, vacant look on their faces. Their chests were moving, which indicated they were alive. They were just brain dead.  
Just like zombies.  
“Are they making their own breed of biters?” You asked, moving away and approaching the group as they all loaded their guns ready to free Jin.  
Jimin shook his head, “I don’t fucking know. And I don’t want to wait to find out.” Once you were all ready to go, out of habit, Jimin reached out for your hand. You didn’t miss the curious glances from Jungkook, but nonetheless you all moved quickly, finding a way to the room where Jin was.  
The room had been brightly lit, and you asked Jimin how that could be possible. You hadn’t seen any form of electricity in the past year, since the blackout.  
“I’m assuming they have some kind of backup generator in the basement. Places like these usually do.”  
You filed away that information for later, and you continued on with the group as they approached the door. The glow from the room was the only indication that you were in the right place, and Jimin and Jungkook were poised opposite the door. Jungkook had gently lain Taehyung against the wall in the previous room, keeping him safe behind some desks in the dark. He left a gun and his backpack with him, so he could defend himself if he needed to. You could still tell that Jungkook wasn’t happy about leaving him though.  
You and In-Ha flanked either side of the door, and on Jimin’s count, In-Ha shot the handle of the door and kicked it open, opening fire on the people inside before they had chance to react. You rushed over to Jin, untying his restraints as quick as you could. When he removed the gag, he began speaking quickly.  
“We have to get out of here. They have biters, locked away in the main hall. The doors are on timers, we don’t have much time.” His words chilled you, and you turned to see Jungkook, In-Ha and Jimin’s faces grow paler at the new information.  
The main hall was where Taehyung and In-Ha had been held hostage in. The fundies were clearly planning some kind of sacrifice, according to the dagger and the book which was on the table in the main hall. You and Jin rushed out of the room, allowing In-Ha, Jungkook and Jimin to finish off the braindead science projects.  
Who knew what kind of stuff those poor people had been put through.  
You and Jin got to the door, and as Jungkook continued shooting, he called over his shoulder.  
“Go and get Tae, we have to leave.”  
You didn’t know how much time you had left, and the thought sent your pulse racing at a supersonic speed. Running with Jin back to the room where Taehyung was, you found him waking, his hand to his head. He was confused and disorientated, and Jin pulled him up, taking his gun.  
“I’ve got you. We have to go.”  
Rushing back to the others, you found them leaving the room as a piercing alarm sounded. Your heart stopped as the alarm stopped and the sound was replaced with the distant sound of footsteps. Fast footsteps.  
“Runners! Fuck, we need to get out of here.”  
Speeding down the corridor, you screamed when a swarm of biters came hurtling from around the corner of the room Taehyung had been in. You all ran, legs burning and hearts racing as you sprinted blindly down the hallway, Jungkook and Jimin managing to shoot off a couple of the runners who managed to get a little too close. The adrenaline managed to wake Taehyung up, and he managed to speed up, helping you and Jin stay with the others as you ran.  
“There’s too many! We have to find a way out!” Jimin yelled breathlessly, his voice tight as he ran as fast as possible with his injured leg.  
You didn’t want to look behind you, but the chorus of footsteps, growls and snarls was enough to prove that you were in grave danger.  
Skidding around another corner, you all breathed a collective sigh of relief when you saw a fire exit. You didn’t have the faintest idea where the truck was, or even if it would still work. Crashing through the fire exit, Jungkook, Jin and Jimin all pushed a dumpster in front of the doors, blocking it just as the slamming of the gang of infected reached the door. It managed to buy you some time, and in the distance Jimin spotted the truck parked with hundreds of abandoned cars. Jungkook, being the fastest of the group, ran ahead over the damp soccer field and hurtled towards the truck while the rest of you continued running, risking glances behind you.  
Your chest dropped when the dumpster failed to prevent the doors from opening any longer, and infected began to climb over it, restarting their race towards you.  
In-Ha screamed at Jungkook to get the truck working, and as he climbed in, he turned the ignition, flashing the lights and driving towards you over the grass. One by one, you all jumped into the truck, and Jimin opened the door, slipping into the drivers seat as Jungkook moved along, loading his gun as he and In-Ha fired at the swarm. Jimin began driving, tires skidding on the wet grass before making it back onto the road. He sped off, driving blindly down the road and eventually crashing through the gates which closed off the school.  
When the swarm of infected died off in the distance, you panted and put your head in your hands, close to crying tears of relief. Rain began pouring, but you didn’t care. You were alive.  
In-Ha wrapped her arms tightly around Jin, almost sobbing with happiness at being reunited with her brother. You prayed you would have the same experience soon.  
The truck carried on, chugging along and finding your way back into the country side from the small town you had found yourselves in. Jimin asked to borrow your maps again, giving you a small grin as if he was saying “we did it.” You ignored the skip in your chest, and handed them to him. Using the maps and eyeing the rusted road signs, he was relieved to find that you hadn’t been diverted off course too much.  
The rain carried on pouring, and you watched as In-Ha shivered next to Jin, who attempted to warm her up. Rustling in your backpack, you pulled out the only raincoat you owned, handing it to her. She smiled, genuinely thankful, and shrugged it on.  
You also began to shiver, losing all feeling in your hands. You rubbed them together, attempting to get some warmth back into them. Feeling Jimin’s eyes on you, you looked up to see him watching you in the rear-view mirror.  
“There’s room in here.” He murmured. You were once again caught off guard by his kindness, and as Jungkook shuffled up to make more room, you climbed in in-between Jungkook and Jimin. Jungkook stiffened slightly, and he muttered something about going into the back to check on Tae as he climbed back out of the passenger seat.  
There was a few moments of silence before the sounds of your teeth chattering became too obvious to ignore.  
“Here,” Jimin said, momentarily taking his hands from the wheel as he pulled off his sweater, handing it to you. It felt warm and soft, and you relished in the feeling.  
“You don’t have to- “  
“Just put it on, Y/N.” He said, placing his hands back on the wheel and looking straight ahead. His entire posture seemed on edge, and you eyed the cuts on his knuckles. Pulling his jumper over your head, you pulled the sleeves down over your hands, almost moaning at how warm and snug it felt.  
“No wonder you always wear this.” You murmured. Jimin chuckled slightly, and you were treated to the first genuine smile you had seen from him. His eyes crinkled a little as he smiled, his lips stretching into one of the most beautiful grins you had ever seen. It was almost addictive. “Is your leg okay?”  
“We’ll sort it out when we find somewhere safe.”  
We. For indescribable reasons, that one word had your heart skipping in your chest again  
You didn’t speak for a while after that, and for a few stolen moments, you enjoyed the simple bliss of driving in a truck with a guy, wearing his jumper and making him smile.

\------

**390 DAYS SINCE BLACKOUT**

Five days had passed since the events in the abandoned school left you all bruised, battered and shaken. You’d all spend nights in anywhere you could find, even settling for icy nights in the truck.  
The entire debacle had failed to drive you all off course of where you needed to be. Your determination to find the Rogues had only strengthened, and you felt a sense of accomplishment at having made it this far without Namjoon, however that fact cut you open emotionally, you now knew that you were capable of handling yourself.  
Things with the group had gotten better, though you were all exhausted from the series of events which had unfolded. Arguments had broken out between you, mainly between Jungkook and In-Ha. Jungkook still maintained that she and Jin were hiding something, and he brought it up whenever he could. The friction from Jungkook and In-Ha reflected onto the entire group, making everyone feel tense.  
It seemed like you and Jimin were the only ones who weren’t arguing – ironically. Jimin had definitely changed a little since the night in the school, though that didn’t mean you were friends. Jimin was incredibly closed off, and sometimes it felt like when you’d first joined the group all over again. Taehyung was your solace when the rest of the group were arguing. He always made you feel better, and you could safely say he had become a close friend. Despite everything, In-Ha had grown close with you too. You both had bonded after the night in the school, and she sympathised with you when you had told her about Namjoon.  
You sat in the back of the truck, enjoying the unusually mild weather. The wind ruffled your hair, free from the pony tail it was usually tied up into. Jungkook and Jimin sat in the front seats, using the maps and scouting the surrounding areas for more shelter for the night. As the sun began to dip, turning the sky from tangerine to pink to violet, cooling the breeze rapidly and dotting the clear sky with a scattering of stars.  
Jimin turned the truck towards what looked like a small village, heading towards an abandoned gas station. As the truck stopped, you shrugged on your jacket, glancing up to see Jimin watching you in the rear-view mirror. He had been slyly looking at you all day, and you felt scrutinised under his intense gaze. Whether he had something to tell you, or he was mad at you – again – you didn’t know. Offering a small smile, you were unsurprised when he didn’t reciprocate it.  
You were fed up of his mood swings. One moment it seemed like you two were getting on well, then he would completely blank you. Over the past five days, he had either chatted to you as if he was a friend, or he’d ignored you. The entire situation angered you beyond all logic, and it seemed like his one goal was to drive you insane.  
Jumping out of the truck, you walked towards the rusty door marked “toilets.” You were weirdly excited to use an actual toilet, however horrifying it could be. You approached the door, pushing the cool metal with your hands. You almost gagged at the smell, and you looked towards the far corner of the bathroom, close to the final cubicle. Your eyes fell on the figure of a man. Hair standing on end, your eyes searched him, the sight of a gunshot wound directly through his throat causing you to heave.  
You gingerly approached the body. In the past year, it wasn’t like you hadn’t seen a corpse before. In fact, you’d seen too many. But what you were not prepared for was the squirming maggots you found crawling over his exposed intestines.  
A scream ripped from your throat, echoing in the dark, empty bathroom. Footsteps thudded towards the bathroom as you began to back out of the door, bumping into the chest of someone. You turned to find Jimin.  
“Y/N? What is it?” He said, slightly breathless from running. You glanced behind him to see Taehyung, In-Ha and Jungkook approaching as Jin fetched a gun from his backpack before following.  
You looked up into Jimin’s eyes. They were dark, and looked tired. He wore a worried expression, and this only baffled you more as you pointed towards the body. “There’s a body. He’s been shot…but his stomach…”  
Jimin gently moved you aside, placing a warm hand on your upper arm. The touch made your skin tingle and warm, but you shook off the feeling. Jimin approached the body, coughing when he saw the gruesome wound on the dead man’s abdomen. He came back as Jungkook got to the door, looking towards you with furrowed brows. “What’s going on?”  
Jimin walked back to you, his jaw tense as he nodded at Jungkook. “Runners have been at him, we have to search the area to see if there are any more. Then we should burn that body. We can’t risk more runners coming here.”  
Jungkook glanced behind Jimin, turning to In-Ha and informing her before he walked off with her. Apparently they were pairing up. Jin approached at Taehyung pointed his thumb behind him.  
“Me and Jin will search across the way.”  
They both walked away, stopping back off at the truck to pick up a torch before walking across the highway and into a field. You were left stood awkwardly with Jimin, and you looked up at him. “Where should we go?”  
Jimin put his hands in the pockets of his jeans, striding past you without answering. Looked like you were paired with moody Jimin.  
Following behind him, you both got your things from the truck and walked towards the woods. The area was silent, unfitting with its surroundings. Being so close to a road, you missed the sounds of traffic and tires on tarmac. Overhead, the moon rose in the sky, bathing the woods in a faint pale white glow. Yours and Jimin’s boots crunched on dead leaves and twigs, filling the silence with something other than your breathing. You stared at the back of Jimin’s black coat, wondering why he was being so strange with you. You caught up to him, attempting to start a conversation by asking him if it looked like any biters had been around. He mumbled some kind of vague response, angering you further. You clung onto the arm of his coat, stopping him in his tracks and forcing him to look at you. His brows drew together under his mussed hair as he looked down at you, his lips pursed to ask you what you were doing.  
“Why are you being like this?” You asked, letting go of his arm due to the increasing tingling sensation. In the dark, all you could see were his eyes and the outline of his messy hair as the moon shone down on you both.  
Jimin’s eyes searched your face, briefly looking concerned before they went back to their usual bland expression. “What are you talking about, Y/N?”  
“One moment you’re fine with me. The next, you’re being like this.” You gestured to him, “I thought we were okay.”  
Jimin rolled his eyes, “Y/N, I’m not- “ His eyes widened.  
You tilted your head at his strange expression, “What is it?”  
He gazed off behind you, suddenly pulling you towards him and twirling you around, placing a hand over your mouth when you began to protest. That’s when you saw what he had seen.  
A coyote prowled a few yards away from you both, sniffing the air as its yellow eyes looked up towards the moon before going back to searching the floor of the wood. You felt Jimin’s heart beating rapidly against your back, as he slowly lowered his mouth to your ear, speaking low.  
“Move with me, quietly. Don’t make any noise.”  
You nodded, his hand still covering your mouth. You grabbed his arm, fingers clawing at his jacket for support as he began to pull you backwards, facing the coyote the entire time. Stepping as gently as you could, the both of you stepped over leaves and mulch, slowly backing away from the coyote as its eyes scanned the woods, its ears twitching and listening for every little sound. It reared up its head, tilting its snout up to the moon as it howled. It’s lithe body moved quickly as it sprinted through the woods, disappearing off into the distance.  
You exhaled through your nose, Jimin’s hand over your mouth as you both stood for a moment, frozen in relief. Jimin’s chest moved against your back, breathing just as hard as you. You hadn’t realised at the time, but his other hand held firmly onto your waist, and it was then you registered how close you were. You felt every one of his breaths wash over your neck, and your skin flooded with goosebumps.  
Slowly, Jimin’s hand moved from your mouth, fingers gracing your collarbone as he rested it on your shoulder. Neither of you moved, whether you were still concerned about the coyote or whether it was for a different reason, you were unsure. What you did know, was that your heart was beating ten times faster than it already was. Anticipation fizzed in your veins as you decided to slowly turn, moving in his arms to face him. He didn’t move his hands, and the hand that had been on your waist drifted over your stomach, over your jacket as you twirled around, meeting his eyes which were just as wide as before.  
You saw his throat move as he swallowed, and you locked eyes with him. His eyes moved over your face, searching your features. You grew shy, being under his gaze, and for whatever reason, you found your eyes moving down until they were looking at his chest. You made an effort to control your heart, and you felt your cheeks heat.  
In what felt like a single second, Jimin’s finger hooked under your chin, hardly giving you time to blink before his lips were on yours. His warm lips moved over yours, carefully, as if he didn’t want to break you. As your thoughts jumbled, and your heart hammered against your rib cage, you found yourself kissing him back.  
His mouth pressed against yours, and his hands held you steady by your waist, fingers feathering over your jacket, but somehow sending shocks of electricity shooting over your skin through the material of your jacket. He pulled you closer, your hands bracing on his chest as you continued to reciprocate the wonderful pressure of his mouth.  
All too soon for your liking, the kiss ended as Jimin dragged his mouth from yours, leaving you slowly opening your eyes to see his confused and soft expression. In the same second, it seemed he caught himself, and the shutters returned. His features darkened, and he all but pushed you away.  
“We have to get back to the group.” He muttered, his voice almost so low you didn’t hear him. You swallowed hard, trying to process what on earth had happened in the past fifteen minutes before you followed him. He strode back where you had come from, almost walking too fast for you to keep up. He never looked back once, and your breathing increased as you fought to keep back tears. You didn’t know why you wanted to cry, but whatever had just happened caused your heart to rise and fall all in the space of sixty seconds.  
When you arrived back, Jin and Taehyung were already waiting, and Jungkook and In-Ha approached from the other side of the wood, looking red faced and breathless. Perhaps they had found something.  
Jin greeted you with a wave, and despite the lump in your throat, you smiled back. You eyes drifted to Taehyung, who somehow knew something was wrong. But he didn’t say anything, and you silently thanked him for that.  
Jungkook arrived, rubbing the back of his neck, eyes at the floor as In-Ha gave the group a fake smile. You wondered what had happened there. Maybe they had fought.  
“Anyone find anything?” She asked, her voice unusually high.  
Taehyung shook his head, his expression soft as he continued to look at you. Jimin spoke next, his voice even, as if nothing had happened.  
“We found what had mutilated the body.” He murmured, running a hand through his hair, “There was a coyote. No runners by the looks of things.”  
Jungkook nodded, “You find anything else back there?”  
Jimin walked to the truck, tossing his gun back into his bag a little too rough. “No. Nothing.”  
You had a feeling he wasn’t just talking about runners. And the realisation made you feel so small you almost burst into tears there and then.  
After talking a little more, Jimin and Jungkook stalked off, both equally awkward for some reason, to find firewood. You stayed with the others, swallowing the lump in your throat and plastering on a smile as if everything was okay.  
It was nothing new. You had been doing that for the past two weeks, and right at that moment, you had never missed Namjoon more.

\------

**393 DAYS SINCE BLACKOUT**

You had all agreed to spend a few days getting your energy back after the events of the past week or so. Though the gas station didn’t offer as much shelter from the cold as you would have liked, the leftover oil in the gas pumps enabled Jimin to top up the truck so you could keep going.  
You and Jimin were back at square one. He acted like you didn’t exist, and you were slowly becoming thankful for that. You were too exhausted to work out his mind games, and the only thing you were thinking about was the end goal; seeing Namjoon again. Once you and Namjoon were together again, you could leave Jimin for good and forget the entire ordeal.  
Until then, however, you spent most of your time with Taehyung and In-Ha – who also seemed to be in a foul mood as of late. You had asked if she was okay multiple times, and she simply replied with, “I’m fine.” You knew she was lying, but you didn’t feel right pushing her. Things had been hectic lately, and you didn’t want to apply any more pressure on the group.  
On the third day, Jin suggested that you should all set off back on track in the morning, and you were somewhat thankful. The rest had been good, but the longer you weren’t travelling, the longer you were separated from your dear brother. The roof of the gas station had sheltered you all from the worst of the weather, but things were still frosty. Jin’s supply of medication and vitamins had managed to keep any major illnesses at bay, but Taehyung and Jungkook were feeling the effects of being in the icy wind and rain for days on end patrolling the area for infected.  
Jin and In-Ha had been locked in serious conversation for some time, and as you all prepared for the last night in the gas station, Jungkook sat beside you, eyeing them suspiciously.  
You glanced towards him, rolling your eyes. “Are you ever going to let it go?” He turned towards you, frowning with a slightly pinkened nose and red cheeks. “They aren’t hiding anything, Jungkook.”  
Jungkook scoffed, looking back towards In-Ha and Jin as they chatted innocently. “What would you know, girly? They are up to something and I’m going to find out what. That little firecracker can’t put me off forever.”  
You raised an eyebrow at the term of endearment, “Firecracker?” Jungkook turned away from the siblings once again to give you a sneer.  
“Watch your mouth, Y/N.”  
You sniggered as Jungkook braced his hands on his knees before getting up and walking over towards Jimin and Taehyung. You followed him, feeling the all too familiar pang of unease as your eyes fell on Jimin. Looking away quickly, you went back to preparing your belongings for the journey in the morning, pushing all thoughts away from Jimin.

 

The morning seemed more cold than the night. The rising sun did little to burn off the freezing fog which clouded the area around the gas station, and as you all set off, continuing your journey to find the Rogues.  
Choosing to stay in the back of the truck, as far away from Jimin as possible, you shivered next to Taehyung as you wrapped your arms around yourself. Taehyung noticed your quivering form beside him, and turned to you, nudging you slightly as he opened his arm for you to snuggle underneath. You settled your head on his shoulder, thankful for the warmth, and smiled slightly. Though you were determined to find your brother, you would be truly heartbroken to say goodbye to Taehyung. He had been so kind, sweet and welcoming since day one, and you would always cherish him.  
Looking ahead of you, you were startled to see a pair of dark eyes watching you in the rear-view mirror. You couldn’t decipher the myriad of emotions swirling in the dark brown irises of Jimin, but the fact he was frowning at you while you were laying with Taehyung only made a floor of anger seep into your veins, and you glowered back at him until his eyes went back to the road ahead of him.  
You weren’t about to let him win. If he wanted to play that game, so could you.  
The fog didn’t clear up much, and it seemed the entire day was spent on the same road. The maps indicated that the last known location of the Rogues was north-east, and so Jimin directed the truck along the neve rending road you’d found yourselves on. As the sky darknened once again, Jimin began looking for another place to stay for the night.  
Anxiety clouded your brain. The more you stopped, the higher the chance of missing the Rogues. You shuffled from sleeping Taehyung’s arms, and crawled towards the window, crouching behind Jimin.  
“Let me drive. Then we don’t have to stop.”  
Jimin frowned again, a look you had grown used to, and his eyes briefly met yours again in the rear-view mirror. “Y/N, you’re not driving. It’s late, we have to stop somewhere.”  
Jungkook snored softly beside Jimin, and you decided to climb into the passenger side next to him. You were determined to make him listen to you.  
As you settled beside him, your arm touched his, sending an unwelcome wave of goosebumps over your body, and forcing your heart to kick up speed. Ignoring your body’s reaction to his nearness, you turned your body to face him as he drove, noting the little space you had due to Jungkook’s large sleeping form.  
“My point is, if you let me drive, we don’t need to find somewhere.” You looked at him hopefully as his jaw tensed, “I am the only person who can drive besides you.”  
Jimin didn’t look at you, keeping his eyes glued to the dark highway before him. “You’re not driving. If you don’t want to stop, I’ll stay awake.”  
Your eyes danced over his features. His eyelids were already drooping, and his form was slouching. “You’re already tired. Jimin, please.”  
He stiffened when you said his name, and you frowned. “Y/N- “  
You placed a hand on his arm, regretting the action immediately. The last time you had touched, his mouth had been on yours. The memories flooded your brain, and it seemed you weren’t the only one reacting. Jimin’s jaw ticked again, and his hands tightened on the wheel, fingers turning white. Feeling this was the only way you would get him to relent, you didn’t remove your hand.  
“Please. Don’t stop the car.” Your voice cracked, overwhelmed with the desire to continue and close the gap between you and Namjoon. “We need to find them. I need my brother back.”  
Hearing your voice break, Jimin’s head turned towards you, his eyes large and glassy with exhaustion as he took in your tears, eyes following each tear as it travelled down your face. For a moment, his face softened, but then he was back to normal, his frown back in place as he sighed loudly, looking back at the road.  
“Fine. But I am sitting next to you. And I’m not sleeping.”  
You found his statement difficult to believe, especially when he yawned the moment you had swapped seats. Settling yourself into driving the truck wasn’t easy, considering you had only done it once before, and that was whilst you were trying not to die.  
Jimin sat beside you, a little too close for your liking. You prayed his presence wouldn’t distract you, and you forced yourself to maintain focus as the truck travelled smoothly along the road. The fog had managed to lift a little, leaving only a faint mist on the horizon. You found yourself enjoying driving, now that you had gotten your bearings again. It brought back fond memories of your parents, and how they would always bicker in the front seat while you and Namjoon silently giggled in the back.  
The silence was filled with snoring as the others slept while Jimin stubbornly stayed awake beside you. Unexpectedly, Jimin broke the comfortable silence with a question you weren’t expecting.  
“What’s your brother like?”  
Your heart ached, but you smiled. You brother was the most beautiful person you knew, with the biggest heart. Anytime you thought of him, your heart sank before rising again.  
“He’s…the best.” You grinned fondly, thinking of Namjoon’s bright smile and messy blonde hair. He had dyed his hair so many colours in his teens, it was a wonder why it hadn’t all fallen out, but somehow his hair was even softer than yours. “He’s my favourite person on earth.”  
Jimin nodded out of the corner of your eye, and continued to watch you as you drove.  
“Is he older than you?”  
You nodded, focusing on making the right turn according to the map which Jungkook had stuck to the dashboard. Jimin’s eyes burned into you, and it made you feel shy, your hands shifting on the wheel. A few more moments of silence passed before you grew curious, your own questions burning in your brain.  
“Who are you hoping to find?” You asked, glancing towards Jimin who’s head was laying comfortably back against the seat. His eyes moved towards you, his sleepiness making his eyes look sultry. You swallowed and turned your eyes back to the road.  
Jimin cleared his throat, sitting up before answering you. “My best friend was taken a few months ago.” He looked down at his hands as he played with the hem of his sweater. You’d never seen him look so vulnerable. “Taehyungie is pretty hopeful but…me? Not so much.” The octave of his voice grew low, and you could tell he didn’t expect to find his best friend. Not alive, anyway.  
You found yourself relating to him on a level you weren’t ready to approach yet. You would be lying if you said you’d never had those same thoughts. That Namjoon wasn’t at the finish line. Instead of coming to terms with them, you always stayed firmly in the land of denial.  
You spoke, your voice a whisper in the silence of the truck. “Sometimes, hope is all we’ve got. It’s all that keeps us going. Otherwise…what’s the point?” You cleared your throat, your voice becoming uneven, “If I had some kind of indication that Namjoon wasn’t going to be there waiting for me…I’d get out of this truck right now and let whatever happens happen. But if I did that, I wouldn’t know for sure. And then Namjoon would be alone, instead of me. I wouldn’t wish this on him.”  
Nobody spoke again for a moment, and then you began feeling awkward. You had well and truly killed any mood that had been there. You were saved when Jimin playfully nudged you, “We’re not that bad. Surely?”  
You glanced at him, and he offered you a small smile, making your stomach jump. You both smiled at each other for a little while longer, until Jimin became serious. The air became thick, and your heart began to thud as Jimin’s eyes flicked to the road and he yelled for you to stop.  
“Y/N! Watch out!”  
A figure slumped on the road caused you to swerve and skid into the field on the side of the road. Luckily you had stopped fast enough to prevent the car from flipping, but it sure woke everyone up. Expletives from Jungkook and In-Ha, and the confused noises from Taehyung filled the air as you sat panting at the wheel while Jimin took out his gun, ready to investigate.  
You got out, allowing Jimin to jump out of the truck as you followed behind him. As you both approached the figure, you stayed behind Jimin, as he shielded you with his arm. Loading the gun, Jimin stepped onto the deserted road, stepping near to the figure before kicking it, causing it to fall onto its back.  
What you saw both confused you, and sent a vicious chill through your body.  
It wasn’t a man, or even a biter. It was a dummy, dressed in ragged bloodstained clothing.  
“What the fuck?” Jimin whispered as you both looked down at the dummy. Lifting his head, and turning to look at you, Jimin frowned before a scream filled the air. You spun, looking over to the truck as Jungkook yelled from the seat.  
“Behind you!”  
You and Jimin turned to find two figures dressed in black. Your heart stilled in your chest, drying your throat and causing the blood to drain from your face as you locked eyes with someone all too familiar. Red hair peeked out from under his cap, and he sent you a stomach-churning smile as he came for you. Jimin lunged for him, and you screamed when the man pulled out a carving knife.  
“Jimin!”  
You pushed Jimin out of the way as the red-haired man thrust the knife into the air, and into the side of your stomach. Pain shot throughout your body as the man caught you as you fell, bringing his arm around your neck and cutting off your air supply. Clawing at his arm, you watched as Jimin was restrained with wide eyes, yelling your name. His head snapped back as the second, dark-haired man landed a violence punch to his jaw, sending him to the floor before pulling out what appeared to be a gun, firing at the truck.  
Darkness flicked at the edges of your vision, as you gasped for air, your head becoming light. Screams from the truck made your stomach lurch, and as you met your end, you thought of Namjoon, alone in the world.

\------

 _Drip, drip, drip._  
You shifted, pain shooting throughout your body. Your side throbbed, still sore.  
You weren’t dead. You were so sure.  
Opening your eyes, you were surrounded by lights. Electric lights. The artificial lighting had become so foreign to you over the past year that your eyes burned once you had opened them fully. Something continued to drip within the room, filling the silence along with the gentle hum of power from the lights. The walls around you were tilled, and the smell of damp invaded your senses.  
Where were you?  
_The others._  
Searching the room with your foggy mind and clouded vision, you caught sight of a slumped figure in the corned. Grey hair hung over her face and her arms were bound to the pipes beside her, much like your own. Bruises littered her arms, and her chest moved barely with her breaths.  
“In-Ha!” You said, your voice echoing slightly in the abandoned washroom. Puddles of stagnant water littered the floor of the room, and pipes on the ceiling leaked, dribbling water onto you. As you turned, you felt the tender bruising on your neck becoming irritated. Looking down, you saw your jacket had been removed, and you were only in your grey t-shirt. It had been ripped slightly over the wound, which was patched with clean, fresh bandages.  
Whoever had taken you didn’t want you to die.  
Your memories flashed to the men who had attacked you and Jimin.  
_Jimin._  
You had last seen him being hit, falling to the floor. Was he okay? Your chest sank at the thought of something happening to him. And Taehyung. The had been shot at.  
Surely, if In-Ha was alive – barely – they would be okay? Why were they keeping you and In-Ha alive?  
You yelled for In-Ha again, her frame shifting slightly at your voice, and after a third time, her head lifted, revealing bruising around her eye.  
“In-Ha.” You gasped, “What happened?”  
She dragged in a breath, her face scrunching in pain as she moved, as if her ribs were hurt. “Rogues. They got us.”  
Rogues. Of course. The red-haired man who had taken you was the same one who had helped take Namjoon.  
Perhaps Namjoon was here. Maybe he was with Jimin, Jungkook, Taehyung and Jin.  
“What did they do to you?” You asked In-Ha, pulling fiercely at your restraints, but to no avail.  
“They shot us with tranquilizers. Jungkook managed to pull his out before it went into his bloodstream, but the rest of us were out within seconds. I don’t know where they took them, but they had their fun with me…” She sneered, and bile rose in your throat.  
“They didn’t- “  
She shook her head, almost putting your mind at rest. “Not while I was conscious anyway. I knocked one of them out before they got near me.” She began trying to free her own hands, as you continued with yours. The ties were tight, but not tight enough. You had some wiggle room. You had managed to get one hand out when the door swung open, revealing the dark-haired man who had hit Jimin. His feline-like eyes watched you as you desperately tried to free your other hand, smirking as if the action was hopeless.  
“Aren’t you a fighter? Almost like this one.” He murmured, directing his sickening gaze to In-Ha, who flipped him the bird. He simply chuckled, stalking towards you before grasping your wrist in a first grasp that almost snapped the bones straight there. “Jackson is going to have fun with you. You are a beauty, the picture in your brother’s wallet wasn’t lying.”  
_Namjoon._  
He pulled you up, almost breaking your arm which was still tied. He took out a pen-knife, slashing the ties in one smooth movement. Pulling you with him, he dragged you from the room as you began screaming. He swiftly shut you up, backhanding you across the face.  
“Shut the fuck up!” He growled, grabbing you by the neck, tightening his hand over your bruises. A tear escaped your eye, a mixture of fear, anger and pain.  
He continued to drag you along with him, taking you past closed off rooms which could have held the boys. Your stab wound ached with the force of being pulled along, and you dragged in shaky breaths to bare the pain until you arrived at wherever you were headed.  
Rounding the corner, you arrived at a door which was quickly opened by the red-haired man.  
“Where’s Jackson?” Your captor asked, his fingernails digging painfully into your wrist. The redhead leered at you, his eyes crawling over your body, making every inch of you feel dirty. “Yugyeom, fuck. Control your dick for five seconds. She’s Jackson’s.”  
Yugyeom didn’t take his eyes from you, nodding his head a little behind him, “He’s in there, seeing to one of the other ones.”  
You didn’t want to know what he meant by that, but your lip quivered and your skin crawled when Yugyeom’s hands found their way to your behind as you walked by. His hot breath fanning over your ear as he whispered vile things about your body and how good it felt. You almost vomited up the empty contents of your stomach right there.  
“God, she’s a keeper, JB.”  
JB sneered, his hand following Yugyeom’s and cupping your behind, squeezing harshly. “I hope Jackson doesn’t keep her all to himself.”  
They chuckled together, their hands moving over your lower half like ants as JB took you to the room where Jackson was. He pushed open the door, and you gasped when you saw Taehyung huddled into a ball at the feet of a white-blonde-haired man, blood staining his teeth and lips as his hands clutched at his stomach. Tears flooded your eyes as you watched him cower, his eyes scrunched up so tight. You weren’t even sure he’d noticed anyone opened the door. The room looked like it had once been a study, or an office. Decadently decorated in deep reds and browns, it was bare aside from a frayed rug in the centre of the scratched mahogany floor. The windows were covered with steel cages, preventing any exit, and the fireplace was also blocked with loose bricks.  
The blonde man turned, completely shirtless. You were alarmed when you saw a light smattering of blood across his chest, and your heart stilled when his eyes locked on you.  
“There she is.”  
He swaggered towards you as if you were a girl in a nightclub and he was going in for the kill. His lips lifted into a slimy grin as his eyes dragged over your body from head to toe. “That picture is nothing compared to the real thing.” He brought his lips to your ear, causing your entire body to tense up, “It’s a shame we don’t have a pretty little uniform to act out the picture.”  
Bile bubbled at the back of your throat when you realised which picture he was referring to. It was one from your final day of high school, and Namjoon was carrying you on his back. You were eighteen in that photo. You almost heaved when Jackson’s finger trailed along your jaw, cupping your chin as he looked you over.  
“You’re a lady now, I see.” His eyes leered at your breasts, and you bit your lip hard to keep from sobbing as tears flooded your cheeks. “Big girl.”  
Muffled sounds distracted you momentarily, and your eyes followed Jackson’s as he turned. Your heart kicked up speed when you saw the boys tied up one by one against the wall, each of them more battered than the last. The noise came from Jimin, who was the only one who was gagged. He moved violently, jostling Jungkook, who was unconscious.  
“Ah, your little boyfriend over here has been causing some problems.” Jackson said, bringing his hand to the back of your head and grabbing a fistful of your hair and pushing you down beside Taehyung. “I’ll leave you all to catch up shall I?” He turned to JB, “Where’s the other girl?”  
“Back in the washroom,” JB replied. You crawled over to Taehyung, pushing his hair back from his damp forehead. You sobbed, cupping his face in your hands as you checked him for any more injuries. Before you could do much, Jackson pulled you back by your hair, earning more muffled expletives from Jimin.  
“Be a good girl and stay here.” He said harshly, his lips against your cheek as he locked eyes with Jimin, and then Jin. “Oh, and if you untie any of them, I _will_ kill the girl.” He pushed you down, and you landed roughly on the carpet, “And you’ve seen what I can do when I’m being nice, so don’t break the rules.”  
As they left the room, Taehyung shifted, groaning in pain as he curled tighter into a ball and jumping slightly when the door slammed behind the Rogues. You rubbed his head, fingers brushing his hair away from his bruised face. Sobs rippled through your body as Taehyung’s large hand wrapped around yours, squeezing gently – a sign of comfort, despite everything.  
Jin shifted a little, finding it difficult to move with his hands tied. Wordlessly, you moved to untie him, but he froze, his eyes wide.  
“No.” He said, sticking his leg out straight to stop you from coming near him, “If you untie us, he’ll kill my sister.” He huffed, obviously in extreme pain. What had Jackson done to them?  
You nodded, your throat tight as your eyes drifted to Jimin, who looked the worst off out of the four of them. Even Taehyung.  
His eye was covered in a black-ish, purple bruise, and cuts littered his face. God knows what kinds of bruises you would find on his body. His jaw was still swollen from the punch JB had delivered, and blood soaked his hairline, dribbling down to his eyebrow, towards his eye. You reached over, wiping away the blood with the pad of your thumb. Jimin’s eyes watched you, his face soft as he took in your bruised and tearstained face. His eyes fell on the bruises which covered your neck, and pure fury filled his body as he began thrashing, moving his head violently to remove the gag. Once it was removed, he began wiggling, trying to free his hands.  
“Jimin, I can’t- “  
“You can’t.” Jimin murmured, “He didn’t say anything about us untying ourselves.” He got his hands free, pulling them out of the ties viciously, causing red welts and slashes to appear on his hands. He caught sight of your bandaged stomach through the tear in your t-shirt, and he took a few deep breaths before meeting your eyes.  
“Jimin, what the fuck are you doing? If In-Ha- “ Jin said angrily as he watched Jimin untying a still unconscious Jungkook. He left Jungkook’s hands behind his back, moving towards Jin.  
“In-Ha isn’t going to die. I have a plan.” He untied Jin’s hands, and Jin rubbed his wrists, the skin there looking raw. Jimin moved back over to you, reaching over to take something from Jungkook’s pocket. You watched his hand, and frowned when he opened it to reveal what looked like a dart of some kind.  
You glanced up at him. “It’s the tranquilliser dart that Jungkook pulled out of his arm. It’s still got some of the tranquilliser left.” He took your hand in his, opening it up and putting the dart in your palm, “You’re going to use it on Jackson.”

 

The door opened what felt like hours later, and Jackson entered, dressed in a suit as opposed to his shirtless state earlier. You wanted to gag.  
He walked into the room, surveying that everyone was as he had left them. You sat against the wall, next to Taehyung who held his stomach and glared towards Jackson with the most hatred you had ever seen him posess. Jimin and Jin sat either side of a now alert Jungkook, who’s eyes were fixed mainly on the girl who’s voice could be heard as she yelled countless expletives.  
Behind Jackson, JB and Yugyeom dragged an angry, bloodied In-Ha. She thrashed and screamed as JB tossed her to the ground. You instantly crawled over to her, as she turned to Jackson and spat on his shoe. Jackson began to chuckle, and crouched down to In-Ha’s level. She had no fear in her eyes, only purely concentrated hatred. Jackson looked at In-Ha for a moment, his face bright as he laughed psychotically, before he reared his hand back and hit In-Ha, sending her to the floor with one blow. Jin and Jungkook both became animated, but made sure to keep up the ruse and maintain the look of being tied up. She fell before you, and you pulled her body up, cradling her. Adding to the various grazes and bruises on her face, there was now a fresh wound on her lip, which dripped blood onto the old, white rug. You glanced towards the boys, and you saw that Jungkook was ready to explode. A part of you realised that Jungkook cared a lot more about In-Ha than he was willing to let on.  
“Good to see you obeyed the rules.” He looked down at you, his eyes attempting to seduce you. His gaze only resulted in your being more eager than ever to kill him. “Good girl.”  
You looked away from him, your stomach close to heaving as you felt his fingers in your hair. He took a handful, and pulled you up, earning him a squeak of pain from you. He brought his hand to your face, taking your jaw between his thumb and forefinger. His eyes drilled into yours, and his lips curled into a terrifying grin when Jimin made more muffled sounds of protests sounding vaguely like numerous curse words, directed at Jackson. He glanced towards Jimin before he looked back at you, pulling you to him and forcing his lips to yours. His tongue invaded your mouth, and his bitter taste filled your unwilling senses.  
This was your chance.  
Diving your hand into your pocket, you let Jackson kiss you, his hands roaming places that made your tummy turn and your eyes water. Jimin was now silent, but you could practically feel the fury radiating from him. Once your hand grasped the dart in your pocket, you took a deep breath before pulling it out and up, piercing Jackson’s neck.  
He reared back, pushing you away and staggering back, a hand braced on the wall. You simply stood and watched as his eyelids drooped, his hand still on the dart in his neck as he fell to his knees before landing on his stomach. JB and Yugyeom stood wordlessy for a few seconds, looking at their leader who lay unconscious on the floor, before eyeing you and lunging forward.  
That’s when the boys saw it was time to get involved. Jimin and Jungkook took care of JB, while Taehyung and Jin fought off Yugyeom. It was four against two, and in your eyes they had no chance, not when Jungkook was as furious as he looked. His neck tensed, the veins popping as he landed punch after vicious punch into JB’s face, pummelling his face until it was a bloodied mess. Yugyeom was shoved to the floor and tied up with the restraints used on Jin.  
You went over to In-Ha who was coming to, her chest rising and falling with deep breaths as she looked around at the chaos that ensued. You pulled her up, taking whatever keys or weapons you could from Jackson before dragging him over to where Jimin had been tied up, gagging him and restraining his hands and feet. Once the boys were done with JB and Yugyeom, it was time to escape.  
The others ran through the doors of the study, running through another set of doors, towards the corridor you had passed. You suddenly stopped, unable to go any further. Jimin came up behind you, his hand on your back and his eyes searching your blank face.  
“Y/N.” He murmured, watching as Taehyung and Jin tried numerous doors down the corridor. “We have to go. Jackson won’t be out for long.”  
Tears brimmed your eyes, and you stared ahead. Your heart ached, twisted and broke as you turned towards Jimin. His amber eyes met yours, worry etched on his face as his hands came down on your upper arms.  
“Y/N.” He wiped away a tear, “I’m sorry.”  
He knew. He knew why you were crying. Why your heart was on the verge of giving out completely.  
Namjoon wasn’t here.  
Jimin brought you gently to his chest, and your ear covered his hammering heart. Every part of you hurt, and though, in the back of your mind, you knew this day had to come, you weren’t prepared for the unrelenting pain you felt. The heartbreak of losing your brother all over again radiated through your entire body, and you cried into Jimin’s chest as his hand cradled your head and his cheek rested against your forehead.  
You zoned out of the next few hours. Jimin led you from door to door with the others as Jungkook located an armoured van. Hotwiring it, Jungkook got the van started as Taehyung and Jin located ammo and anything else you could use. A couple of the backpacks were retrieved, but nobody seemed to care about anything other than getting away from Jackson. Jimin brought you with him, placing you wordlessly in the front seat before running around the front and getting in the van.  
Crashing through the garage door, you all realised you were in the suburbs of some city. That meant something very dangerous. Big cities were breeding grounds for runners, and Jimin swerved through abandoned cars and over playing fields to find a way from the city.  
You’d all found what you were looking for, but at the same time, you hadn’t. Jimin hadn’t found his best friend, you hadn’t found your brother.  
A thick fog of depression swept over the van as your head lolled against the caged window, looking outside and seeing nothing but grey. Grey clouds, grey houses, grey cars.  
Nothing had any colour without Namjoon. And it never would ever again.

\------

**395 DAYS SINCE BLACKOUT**

You sat in the misty, morning air at the edge of a corn field you’d all arrived at the previous night. After a few hours of driving, you’d managed to successfully alienate everyone in the truck, ignoring any words of comfort they had.  
You weren’t in the mood for comfort. You didn’t want to talk about how Namjoon was probably in a better place, or how it was better this way. For your own selfish reasons, you wanted your brother there with you. Even if it meant living and struggling in whatever world you’d grown used to.  
But that wasn’t how it was going to be. Namjoon was dead; that much you knew. He hadn’t been at the Rogues’ base, and you failed to see where else he could have gone. He was alone. However brave you knew your brother was, without ammo, food and shelter, you found it hard to believe he could survive.  
Then again, food was something you had also foregone.  
In the twenty-four hours since you all left Jackson and his laggies tied up in the study of that old suburban house, you’d eaten nothing. Not even one of the energy bars you kept in your backpack for emergencies. You didn’t want to eat. You knew nothing, food or otherwise, could ease the emptiness you felt in your chest.  
The others, minus Taehyung who was asleep in the van, had opted to scout the area, looking for any indication of biters or more survivors. Now that you had found the Rogues, and failed to find what you were looking for, the future looked as blank as the horizon before you. You didn’t know exactly how many hours you had been sat in this same spot, staring aimlessly out along the line where the grey sky met the wilting, dead fields. As far as you knew, you had been alone this entire time. That’s when your numb body registered the presence of someone else.  
“Y/N,” The soft, hesitant voice of Jimin drifted from behind you, though you didn’t turn around to see, “You need to get out of the cold.”  
Your shoulders lifted on a humourless grunt. You didn’t even have the energy or desire to laugh anymore.  
“I’m fine where I am.” Your voice was brittle, those being the first words you had spoken in hours.  
You heard foodsteps shuffling on the concrete behind you before Jimin sat beside you, his black jumper catching the corner of your eye. You just wanted to be alone.  
“Fine. I’ll sit here too.”  
Unable to form any kind of retort, you allowed him to seat himself beside you. You blinked at the sight before you, unable to cry any more tears than you had already. The icy wind made your eyes sting, but the pain was more appealing to you than the overwhelming numbing sensation that filled your entire body and blanketed your mind.  
Jimin inhaled next to you, turning his body to face yours. “I know how much you’re hurting right now, Y/N.”  
His words hit you unexpectedly hard. In your selfish cloud of depression, you had completely forgotten that you weren’t the only person who didn’t find what they were looking for. Jimin had lost his best friend, and yet here he was comforting you like it was nothing. Everything seemed to crumble on top of you, and before you knew it, tears were brimming your eyes and falling down your cheeks as you continued to stare out towards the horizon.  
He didn’t say anything after that, but without hesitation, Jimin wrapped his arms around you, pulling you to his chest. His lips pressed against your hair as he rubbed your back soothingly, holding you tight as sobs moved through your entire body. You couldn’t hold back any longer, you weeped loudly into his chest, clutching at the material of his sweater as he kept his arms around you.  
Soon, you could breathe evenly again, but you didn’t move from Jimin’s arms. You inhaled the woody, cotton scent of his sweater, and closed your eyes. You were still hurting deeply, but your heart felt a little lighter.  
Neither of you spoke for a while, until you felt you needed to repay the favour.  
“Are you okay?” You asked Jimin, your voice muffled slightly by his firm hold on you. His body moved as he laughed lightly.  
“You’ve just cried all over me, and you’re asking if I’m okay?” You lifted your head, looking up at his face and wondering how someone can be so closed off and yet still resemble sunshine when they smile.  
You searched his face, and saw that beneath the smile, there was a darkness which indicated he was dealing with it privately. “You didn’t find your friend.”  
He shifted a little, and you moved to get off him, thinking he was uncomfortable, but his arms tightened around you. Smiling sadly, he glanced down at you. “I didn’t.”  
“Aren’t you upset?” You whispered, not knowing why, but feeling like the moment warranted it.  
He didn’t speak for several beats, and you wondered briefly if you had crossed a line or offended him, but then he sighed. “I am. But at the same time, I was expecting this.” You nodded, remembering your conversation the other night before you were captured. You suddenly felt silly for preaching about hope when you should have had none. Maybe you would hurt less now. Jimin seemed to sense your mood change, and brought his finger under your chin, bringing your eyes to his. You had a momentary flash to the night in the woods, but as Jimin spoke, you pushed the thoughts away. “Don’t feel bad for hoping, Y/N. Maybe it didn’t work out, but at least you had something that kept you going.”  
You frowned, not quite understanding. He had been going for three months before you had come along.  
“I know I didn’t exactly give up, but that wasn’t for him. I had Jungkook and Taehyung to think about. Sure, they could handle themselves, but…despite what I may have said before,” He looked sheepishly down at you, and you realised he was referring to your appearance a few weeks prior, “Being alone isn’t good for anyone. I know that now.” He gazed down at you intensely, and your heart kicked up speed for the first time since you’d lost Namjoon again. Eyes moving over your features, Jimin’s line of vision soon rested on your parted lips, and every nerve in your body seemed to crackle back to life. As his neck craned down to you, and his mouth hovered millimetres from yours, Jungkook’s voice echoed from behind the barn, and you and Jimin eyed each other before you separated yourself from him.  
Looking towards the barn which was nestled in the centre of the overgrown field you had found yourselves in, you watched as Jungkook stalked angrily away from Jin and In-Ha, who looked as if they were trying to get Jungkook’s attention. As they neared, you realised they were begging him to listen to them  
“I fucking knew it.” Jungkook seethed, his eyes shooting daggers at In-Ha, who actually looked sorry for some reason. “They were hiding something. I just found a tone of shit hidden in one of their backpacks."  
Jin held his hands up, “Just let us explain.” He wore an uncomfortable look, eyeing you and Jimin as if he was concerned about your reactions. You and Jimin stood, looking at each other, both seeming just as bemused as you felt. In-Ha moved towards Jungkook, placing a hand on his forearm gently. You watched the action, confused and intrigued, before Jungkook shook her off. The look on In-Ha’s face cemented what you had already speculated.  
In-Ha had feelings for Jungkook. Before you could ponder your discovery further, In-Ha spoke.  
“At least let Jin explain before you go throwing accusations around, Jungkook.”  
Jungkook sarcastically bowed, an indication for Jin to explain as In-Ha rolled her eyes. Jin cleared his throat, his eyes holding a worlds-worth of worry as he began speaking, “As I’ve told you all, I was a doctor before the blackout.”  
You all nodded, and Jungkook folded his arms over his chest, waiting.  
“Well, what I didn’t tell you is that I wasn’t just an ordinary doctor. I worked for the government.” He breathed deeply, eyeing Jungkook wearily. “I worked for NIAID, which as you all know, is the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.”  
You frowned, wondering where this was going. Glancing towards Jimin, you saw he was wondering the same thing.  
“Basically, I knew about the virus before anyone.” Jin exhaled as if he was remembering something he’d rather forget, “We knew. We knew nobody could survive it. But while the bosses didn’t want to waste any more money on an incurable virus, they went off preparing for early evacuations, and I stayed behind, working in my lab at home. I was desperate to find a cure.  
“At first, it was purely for vain reasons. If I could cure the virus, it would be the making of my career. Things changed, however, when our mother…” He looked towards In-Ha, who looked down at the ground, clearly mourning her mother still. Jungkook’s gaze found its way to In-Ha, and the harshness of his features softened slightly at seeing her upset. Jin continued, “She became infected. It took her a week to turn.”  
Jimin frowned, “But, I’ve seen people change within a matter of seconds. How did it take her so long?”  
Jin’s gaze changed, and suddenly took on the authority of a medical genius as he explained. “The virus is complex. It manifests in many ways. When bitten, some victims can fight it off longer than others, depending on usual factors such as general health, age, etc.” He sighed again, “But not for long. The virus is relentless, and no matter how long it takes, they will succumb to it. If the blood of an infected finds its way into your body through other means, such as in your eyes or mouth, the results are instantaneous. I’ve worked with very little of the latter, but they are just as common.”  
Memories buzzed in your mind. Your roommate at college, the one you still held so much guilt for, you had never seen her turn. The thought that she was there, laying on the hard concrete for hours before becoming one of those vicious monsters brought tears to your eyes. You had just left her.  
Jimin’s voice brought you back to reality, and you shook off the guilt over your roommate, turning to him and listening to his question.  
“So, what does this have to do with us?”  
Jin looked towards Jungkook again, “Jungkook found numerous medical supplies I had brought with me, more for emergencies than anything. He also found something I keep locked up.” He pulled a chain from under his grey sweater, revealing a small key on the end. “This is the key to a box I keep with me. It’s what I rushed to go and get the morning we had to leave our house. It’s a cure I’ve been working on since before my mother died.”  
Jungkook’s eyes widened, “A cure?”  
Jin nodded, and Jungkook did a low whistle of amazement. You were just as shocked as everyone else.  
“You have to show this to someone.” You said. Jin looked at you, and smiled sadly.  
“I don’t think there is anyone. I may have missed my chance.” He looked towards In-Ha and then back to you, “I only brought it in the first place to use if anything ever happened to In-Ha, or me. Or even now you guys.”  
Your heart lifted a little at the prospect of a cure. This discovery held so much hope, that you felt yourself almost smiling. “We have to find someone. Surely there are organisations or camps of survivors. Someone has to listen to you.”  
Jin looked shy, “We don’t even know if it works.”  
You ran over, hugging Jin. “You have no idea the hope you have given us, Jin. We need to share your discovery with everyone. People need to know.” You turned away from Jin, looking at Jimin with a renewed sense of determination. “We need to find somewhere. This could be our new goal.”  
Jimin grinned lightly at you, his eyes twinkling with a fondness you hadn’t seen before. His lips stretched into a pearly white smile again, and your battered heart managed to dance a little in your chest.  
“Let’s do it.”

\------

As the sky bled into night, preparations for the morning’s journey began. Though none of you were particularly sure where it was you were heading to, a small fission of excitement still worked its way through your bones. The anticipation and hope of helping Jin deliver his findings to someone, anyone, brought an element of light to your currently dark situation. You prayed to whoever was listening that your efforts wouldn’t be futile, and that even if you could never see Namjoon again, he could look down upon you with even a shred of pride.  
Your heart was nowhere close to healed, but the prospect of being a part of a group that could potentially help put an end to the drawn-out misery that had encapsulated the past year had you holding out on a dream of a better future than the one you had previously envisioned.  
That night, as you all settled into the barn you had found for the night, Jimin suggested lighting a campfire. Jungkook and Taehyung had managed to shoot a couple of rabbits whilst they patrolled the area earlier in the afternoon, and Jin offered to help cook up the meat. It would surely be the best meal you had eaten in months, and your tummy rumbled at the prospect of a warm dish. Jimin and Jungkook gathered kindling for the fire, striding off into the woods with hopeful looks and warm smiles. Taehyung opted to stay behind, his body still recovering from the vicious beating Jackson had given to him. Jin had looked over his bruises, and come to the conclustion that the tissue around his ribs and abdomen had been severely bruised. Diving into his medical supplies, Jin had kindly been dosing Taehyung with strong painkillers and suggesting lots of rest to help his body recover. Taehyung had insisted, with a boxy, cut-lipped smile, that he was fine. Of course, you were having none of it, and insisted that he stay behind with you to finish the work Jimin started with the fire.  
You came back from the van, bringing a blanket which In-Ha had supplied from her backpack, and wrapping it around Taehyung.  
“I am okay, Y/N. Really.”  
You shook your head, covering Taehyung with the blanket before seating yourself next to him on the dusty floor, zipping up your own hoodie and pulling your hat over your head. “No, you’re not. I’ve seen the bruises, Tae.”  
He eyed you sheepishly. You understood that he hated leaving Jungkook. They were best friends, after all. But you couldn’t let him hurt himself any more than Jackson had already. The entire ordeal with Jackson and his men had left a sizable hole in everyone’s hearts, and for whatever reason, you felt somewhat responsible. Jackson had known who you were from Namjoon’s wallet. Perhaps they had been following you since they took Namjoon.  
Perhaps they had followed you straight to Jimin and the others. Even to Jin’s home.  
The prospect that you had been the cause of what had happened to the people you had grown fondest of made you shudder, and Taehyung noticed, giving up some of the blanket and throwing it haphazardly over your crossed legs. The gesture dragged you from your thoughts, and you offered Taehyung a warm smile of gratitude before adding more wood to the budding fire. Soon, it was boldly aflame, and the warmth emitting from it eased the numbing feeling in your fingertips.  
After a short while, you were joined by In-Ha and Jin, and then soon after Jimin and Jungkook returned with more firewood to keep the fire going for as long as you needed it. Seated around the fire, Jin began roasting the rabbit meat over the flames after skinning it and cutting it from the bone. Before the blackout, the idea of eating a defenceless bunny would have made you squirm, but now your mouth was watering as you watched the blackening meat slowly cook.  
Once the meat was cooked, Jin gave out equal amounts to everyone around the fire, and you all munched greedily, savouring the succulent soft meat with every mouthful, until it was over too quickly. Jimin handed out the canteen of water you’d all regularly filled and filtered, and you all washed down the meal with that. It was the best you had eaten in too long, and you grew sad at not being able to share it with your brother. You stared into the fire for a few moments, zoning out, before you happened to glance up, meeting Jimin’s eyes. He gazed across the fire at you, his almost black irises reflecting the flicking flames of the fire. Slowly, he gave you a shy grin, one you had never seen before. His eyes crinkled underneath the mop of dark chocolate hair which hung over his forhead.  
Reciprocating his smile, you found yourself wondering what was going on between you both. After your kiss in the woods, he’d blanked you. But since the entire Jackson ordeal, he had been there for you. Perhaps you were imagining it, but you knew you were beginning to feel something for him. All of a sudden, the thought that he might not reciprocate your newfound feelings had panic seizing your chest and a mist of tears clouding your eyes.  
“I’m just going to go for a walk.” You murmured, standing. Taehyung started to move, swinging the blanket off his legs.  
“I can come with, if you like?”  
You looked down at Taehyung, and then Jimin, who was watching you with an intense look. You glanced back to Taehyung, smiling sweetly. “No, it’s okay. I’ll take my gun and my flashlight.”  
You walked away from the group, stopping at the van to collect your things before walking around the back of the barn, eyeing the woods before you. The ominously dark shadows deterred you from entering, and you decided to take a breather to organise your thoughts behind the barn, leaning against the aged wood, the scent of straw and grass surrounding you as you stared out towards the dark wood. You inhaled deeply, letting each cleansing breath wash over you and give you a renewed strength to face Jimin again.  
You couldn’t believe you’d let yourself fall for him, especially when everyone had more important things on their minds than finding a partner. Each second you spent believing Jimin didn’t feel the same way about you as you did about him had your heart hiccupping painfully in your chest. What a mess you had gotten yourself into.  
“Y/N?”  
You jumped, stepping away from the barn wall and turning to see nobody other than Jimin standing there, watching you with his hands in the pockets of his worn, ripped jeans. He ran a hand through his hair, moving it away from his forehead before it flopped back down, fringing his eyes as they stared right through you. “You okay? You rushed off.”  
You nodded, swallowing hard as you made to walk back to the others. Jimin stopped you in your tracks, gently clutching your wrist, his face etched with concern as your unnerved state.  
“Talk to me.” He said softly. His consideration for you caused a warmth to radiate from your chest, throughout your entire body.  
You fixed a bright, almost too bright, smile on your face, “I am okay, really Jimin.”  
His hand didn’t let go, and instead it trailed down your wrist to your fingers, lacing them with his own as he took a step towards you, his eyes always on your face. You couldn’t look at him, for fear that he would see everything mirrored in your gaze, and so instead you watched as his hands became tangled with yours, his skin sliding against yours so intimately it had your breathing coming faster.  
“Y/N,” Jimin murmured, his voice gently urging you to look at him. You did, stupidly so, and fell straight into his beautiful brown eyes, letting them read you like an open book. “I’m sorry.”  
You frowned, your brows knitting together under your wind-ruffled hair, “Why are you apologising?”  
He smiled at the ground for a moment, before meeting your eyes again. He looked bashful, ashamed even. “I’m apologising for how I acted…after that night in the woods.”  
Your heart stilled in your chest for what felt like the tenth time in the past ten seconds, and you swallowed. You saw Jimin’s eyes watch your throat as you did so, and you were momentarily caught off guard by the heat that filled his irises. “It’s fine.” Your voice was breathy, almost undecipherable amongst the sounds of rustling trees and laughing coming from the others.  
He tilted his head, watching you as he frowned. “It’s not fine, Y/N.” He looked shy for a second, his tongue darting out to wet his lip as he craned his neck to look off towards the woods, “I shouldn’t have acted like that. Like I didn’t want- “ He cut himself off, not knowing how to say what he wanted to say. Your palms were sweating as you felt a new hunger rising within you. You watched his lips move dreamily, mesmerized by his words. “I…did want to…kiss you, Y/N.” He stopped again, and his gaze met yours, “I _do_ want to.”  
You gasped quietly, not quite believing his words. When you didn’t reply, Jimin chuckled silently to himself, looking towards the floor. When he lifted his head again, his features wore a new look of determination that had you biting your lip in anticipation. When his hand raised slowly to cup your cheek, your eyelashes fluttered as you blinked furiously, wondering briefly if this was all a dream and you had fallen asleep stood against the barn. Those thoughts were put to rest, however, when Jimin’s mouth moved towards your own, his breath tickling your parted lips and his fringe brushing against your forehead. Your eyelids closed, and after what felt like an eternity, Jimin’s lips made contact with yours, hesitantly at first. When he began to apply pressure, you grew impatient, stepping forwards into Jimin’s arms and pressing your lips hungrily to his.  
You dropped the gun and flashlight on the floor beside your feet before swinging your arms around his neck, pulling him impossibly close to you. His hand stayed on the side on your face, his thumbs caressing the apple of your cheek as his other moved to your hip, gently pulling you towards him. Soon, it wasn’t enough, and Jimin’s lips parted, his tongue flicking at your lower lip, which you opened without hestation. As he kissed you deeper, his hand moved to thread through your hair, his body pressing against yours, hard meeting soft. Everywhere you touched, your nerves set alight like firewords exploding one by one over the surface of your skin.  
He pulled ever so gently on your hair, guiding and tilting your head to give you the opportunity to kiss you with everything he had. You moaned into his mouth, your hands grasping at the nape of his neck, always trying to get him as close as possible, though it was never enough. As the kiss became heated, your hands trailing over every inch of him you could reach, he backed you towards the barn wall, gently pushing you, caging you between the cold wood and his rapidly heating body. Hearts racing, you both devoured each other, the moment long overdue. When Jimin’s hands smoothed down the sides of your body, towards your hips and thighs, heat pooled on your stomach, causing you to break out into a sweat while Jimin’s lips dragged from your mouth down your neck, nipping at the skin and causing your head to spin.  
You didn’t feel close enough, and so you boldly dragged your hands down the front of his black sweater, the one you loved so much, pushing them under the hem and onto his warm, soft skin underneath. The action caused Jimin’s body to come alive, his hands pulling at the zipper on your hoody and clumsily pushing it off your shoulder. Your skin, bared in the tank top you wore underneath, didn’t react to the cold, only to the warmth of Jimin’s mouth. You gasped when his lips danced along your collarbone, leaving tantalising butterfly kisses on the skin there, causing pinkish marks to bloom like flowers.  
Just when you were about to suggest going into the barn, a scream pierced the air, followed by a gunshot, and then another. Jimin pulled away from you, his lips swollen, his cheeks pink and his hair standing on end as he looked towards where the others were, worry diluting the lust in his eyes. You both breathed heavily as Jimin adjusted your hoodie, zipping it up before running a hand through his hair and lacing your fingers with his own, pulling you towards where the others were left.  
You rounded the corner to a horrific sight.  
Two biters lunged at Jin, who managed to use his gun, along with help from Taehyung, blowing the brains of it all over as its lifeless body fell directly into the flames of the campfire. In-Ha, stood a little away from the scene, shot arrows towards the two more infected which seemed to be coming from the field across the way.  
They ran, their rotten scent filling the air, towards Jungkook who was reloading his gun. In-Ha shot one of them directly in the head, causing it to fall forward and impale the arrow further into its skull, dark red blood saturating the dirt beneath it. Jungkook was still reloading his gun when the second runner lunged, pouncing on top of him and sending them both to the floor, his gun falling a few meters away from him.  
You jumped into action, running back around the corner and grabbing your gun from where it had fell to the floor. You approached the scene, Jimin behind you pulling his backpack from the van which was packed close enough, and clutching his gun, shooting off the other biters which approached Taehyung and Jin as In-Ha fought off another, her eyes glancing anxiously at Jungkook before she managed to shoot the attacker in the eye, letting it fall.  
You aimed your gun, hands steady, as you watched Jungkook battle with the snapping monster, its bony, grey limbs flailing in an attempt to subdue Jungkook long enough to get at him. In a blur, the runner went for Jungkook’s wrist, and at that moment, you pulled the trigger, light exploding along with the harsh sound of the gunshot as you successfully hit the biter in the skull, sending it falling beside Jungkook in a heap.  
Groaning slightly, Jungkook got up, nodding at you as if to thank you. He brushed off his clothes, as Jimin began loading the van of any belongings you needed. If there were any other infected around, you would have to move quickly. Taehyung rushed over to Jungkook, who appeared to have stopped in his tracks, looking down at his arm. Taehyung’s face fell, his breaths coming in pants as he looked hopelessly at Jungkook.  
You approached the pair, anxious to get moving before any more runners came. The closer you got, the more you pieced the image together. In-Ha followed with you, approaching Jungkook before her eyes glued to what you had just noticed. Her eyes filled with tears as she brought both hands to her mouth.  
Everything seemed to move in slow motion.  
You could scarcely believe what you were seeing, but by some stroke of pure agony, it was true. Jungkook stood, still as a statue, staring wide eyed and pale faced at his wrist, beneath his rolled-up sleeve. On his wrist, was a large bloody wound, stark against his caramel skin, surrounded by vicious teeth marks as dark crimson blood spilled from it onto the ground beneath him.  
Jungkook had been bitten.

\------

The van was silent.  
Nobody spoke for the first hour of the drive. Except In-Ha asking Jungkook if he was okay, how he felt. Jungkook simply grunted his responses, his eyes firmly fixed on the bleeding wound on his wrist. Jin sat up front with Jimin, who drove the van utterly speechless. Your eyes moved from In-Ha to Jungkook and back again – it was pretty concrete evidence that they were involved, being that In-Ha hadn’t left Jungkook’s side since you all found out. The In-Ha you first met would have put a bullet in Jungkook’s head, no questions asked. But right now, she simply sat teary-eyed, holding Jungkook’s arm as he sat, his face ghost white, staring down at his arm.  
You decided to take action, or at the very least, elliviate some of the pressure from Jungkook. God knows what was going through his mind.  
Moving over to one of the other leather seats of the van, you opened your backpack, rifling around inside for the box of bandages you had kept since Namjoon got taken. You’d only used them once, on Jimin’s gunshot wound, and you figured that until you could all get your heads around what had, and would, happen, you could at least make things more comfortable for Jungkook.  
Moving back towards where Jin and Jimin sat, you poked your head through the small hatch, tapping Jin on the shoulder. He turned, his eyes still wide.  
“What’s wrong?” He asked, his voice deathly quiet.  
“Do you have some alcohol and a cloth in your bag?” You saw Jimin’s eyes shift to you in the rear-view mirror, but you ignored his glances. You two would have to talk after you had helped Jungkook.  
Jin looked from Jimin to you, obviously battling some kind of internal moral debate. He bent down to collect his backpack from where he had placed it at his feet and reached in, pulling out a cloth and an old bottle of vodka.  
You thanked him, taking it into the back with you and unscrewing the cap before dousing the cloth in some of the liquid. You approached Jungkook, and he eyed you with a humourless grin, his eyes drifting down to the alcohol-soaked rag in your hand.  
“Don’t waste your time, Y/N.”  
You didn’t take notice of his sour tone, grabbing his hand, firmly but gently. You slowly turned his hand over, revealing the bite which was slowly becoming worse. You couldn’t hide your gasp when your eyes ran over the bruised, punctured flesh. Blue-grey veins had begun to travel up underneath Jungkook’s jacket sleeve, and the dried blood which coated his arm was now turning a crimson-black colour. You composed yourself again, bringing the cloth up to the wound. Jungkook’s arm tensed as the sting of the alcohol hit him, and when you slowly poured a little more vodka over the opening, he winced, his face scrunching up in pain as In-Ha brought her hand to his cheek.  
You cleaned the bite, though it seemed to do nothing. Blood continued to seep from the bite-holes, and you resolved that it would be best to just bandage it up. Once it was clean and covered, you took the rag, opening the window of the van and throwing it out onto the road as the cold air blasted around the van.  
Jungkook eyed you from his seat, his eyes softening with gratitude and vulnerability for the first time since he’d been bitten. You sympathised greatly with him, and the two people dearest to him – In-Ha and Taehyung. While In-Ha hadn’t left Jungkook’s side, Taehyung hadn’t spoken, or even looked away from the window since you had all gotten into the van. You watched him with concern as Jungkook turned to lay his head in the crook of In-Ha’s shoulder. Deciding to leave them alone, you sat on the opposite side of the van from Taehyung, bringing up your knees to your chest and gazing out of the window, uncertainty and fear drilling its way through your body.

\------

**396 DAYS SINCE BLACKOUT**

It had been almost 24 hours since Jungkook had been bitten, and things were beginning to deteriorate.  
You had all found refuge in a small cottage, close to a lake in the middle of nowhere. The house was bare save for some stripped beds and a beat up old sofa. You’d arrived, and instantly gone with In-Ha to collect water that you could all filter, and Jimin and Jin worked on the plumbing to see if anything could be salvaged. A fireplace sat in the front room of the tiny cottage, and once the windows were securely boarded up, and any doors upstairs were closed off, you lit a fire to warm your frost-bitten bodies.  
Jungkook was not frost-bitten, however. He was burning up.  
After removing all of his clothes from the waist up, In-Ha had helped him onto the bed as the effects of the bite begun to take hold. The veins in his arm had becoming visible in his rapidly whitening skin, shining a bright blueish-purple all the way up to his neck as the virus began to spread up to his head. He’d already began showing symptoms of the rage virus, manifesting in thoughtless things such as snapping at In-Ha unexpectedly, or lashing out and punching something – anything to take his anger out on something. Jimin and Jin had restrained him when he had the worst outburst since being bit. He’d picked up the side table next to the bed, throwing it at the wall and watching it smash and splinter. You’d all looked at one another, shocked and terrified about what the night would hold.  
After regaining some control, Jungkook had requested to be restrained after In-Ha refused to leave his side, much to Jin’s dismay. Jimin had gathered some rope and cloth from the cellar of the cottage, tying Jungkook’s arms and legs to the wooden bedframe as he watched, silent and solemn.  
Some of the water you’d collected was placed in a bowl beside Jungkook’s bed, with a cloth that In-Ha could use to cool him down, though it did little to help. Soon the wound had bled through the bandages you had wrapped around it, and the virus continued to spread, visible to you all through the spidery veins working their way up the side of Jungkook’s face. Soon, it would embed into his brain, and then hope would be lost.  
Now, you sat with In-Ha and Jimin. Jin was consoling an increasingly erratic Taehyung downstairs whilst In-Ha tried her best to make Jungkook as comfortable as possible. She hadn’t quite come to terms with the fact she would have to say goodbye to the Jungkook you all knew, mourning him before the virus would take over and turn him into a blood-thirsty monster. The same you had all been running from and fighting off since the blackout.  
As she dabbed his bare chest with the cloth, pushing back his sweat soaked hair, your heart went out to her. She clearly cared deeply about him, and though neither of them had actually confirmed any involvement with each other, the looks they shared when they thought nobody was looking was enough. Your eyes briefly darted to Jimin, who was watching the scene before you with a tense jaw and worried eyes. When you thought of what it would be like, being in In-Ha’s position, you understood why she wasn’t ready to deal with it.  
You were unsure you could ever come to terms with losing Jimin. And that thought alone scared you to the bone.  
Jungkook groaned, something he’d been doing frequently for the past few hours as the virus worked its way deeper into his skin, his muscles and his brain. His body arched, clearly battling against the urges to kill. His eyes were wide, scared. You looked at him as he stared around the room. He looked like a young boy, terrified of what was to come.  
As his eyes drifted to In-Ha, a look washed over him as his exhausted gaze moved over to you and Jimin.  
“Jimin,” He grunted, sweat misting his skin as his body tightened again, “I need…to speak with you alone.”  
Jimin glanced towards you, his arms unfolding from where they had been across his chest as he nodded uncertainly. You looked towards In-Ha, who did not seem to like the idea of leaving Jungkook. As you approached her, she shook her head, her eyes wide as her smoky hair shook side to side.  
“No, no. I can’t leave him.”  
You placed your arm around her, gently guiding her from the room as Jimin closed the door behind you with a concerned glance. You returned the look, before taking In-Ha down the stairs where Jin was.  
When you both arrived downstairs, Jin was sat on the old sofa next to Taehyung, who looked absolutely distraught. You almost teared up at the whole situation, wanting to console Taehyung and In-Ha so bad, but not knowing how. In-Ha reached Jin, throwing herself down onto the sofa as she began sobbing into his chest. When a tortured howl from the upstairs bedroom echoed down the stairs, In-Ha tearily lifted her head, pleading with Jin.  
“Please, Jin! Use the cure on Jungkook. Don’t let him die- don’t let him turn into one of them- ”  
Your eyes widened. The cure was the only thing that was keeping you all on the path to more survivors. As far as you knew, Jin only had enough to use once.  
But Jungkook had a matter of hours left. If that.  
Jin seemed to be waging the same internal battle as you, staring down at his sister’s tearstained face as she cried for the guy she was falling in love with. With a deep breath, and a look of anguish, Jin nodded.  
You were amazed at his sacrifice. Giving up all his work, the possibility of finding help for other survivors. You admired the love he held for his sister as she wrapper her arms around him, thanking him over and over as she cried with a mixture of relief and glee.  
A familiar pang of longing for your brother moved through you, and you shook it off momentarily, needing to be there for your friends.  
As Jin collected his stuff, In-Ha rushed up the stairs to tell the good news. You followed her, Jin walking behind you as Taehyung joined, his face still set in the same heartbroken, blank stare. Entering the bedroom, Jimin stood silent by the window as Jungkook eyed us all, his eyes half closed as he continued to attempt to remain mentally sane, not wanting to give into the virus.  
“What’s going on?” He croaked, his eyes misting as he saw Taehyung. Jungkook was obviously touched that his best friend was there, as he had previously understood his inability to be around him.  
In-Ha moved back to her place at the side of his bed, brushing back his damp hair as she smiled hopefully at him “Jin has the cure. He’s going to save you.”  
Jungkook’s eyes moved towards Jin, seeming unhappy with the idea of giving up the only chance of finding an end to the virus that had ravaged the world, just for him to live. “I- “  
Jin began preparing the cure, his face set in an emotionless gaze as he mechanically took out a needle from his bag, piercing the valve containing a clear liquid. He took all of it into the pump, discarding the tube and turning towards Jungkook.  
Jungkook’s face still held a certain look of doubt – he didn’t want this.  
As Jin pushed the needle underneath Jungkook’s skin, you all waited with bated breath as the solution began to vanish into Jungkook’s veins. Jimin’s body turned fractionally away from the window, watching the scene with curiosity and faint hope.  
Nothing happened for several seconds after Jin had administered the cure, and as In-Ha kept up morale with upbeat words of encouragement, you watched as something began to happen. The veins in Jungkook’s arm and neck began to turn a bloody red, and they darkened, appearing more harsh underneath his clammy skin. His eyes darted around the room, a new mist of fear behind them along with something else.  
With panicked pants, he looked at Jin.  
“It’s not working. It’s still happening. It’s worse.” He chanted the words between gasps as his body convulsed. The room was a cactaphony of chaos – In-Ha screamed, sobbing loudly as she became restrained by Jin. She attempted to struggle from his grasp, hitting his chest hard and accusing him of killing Jungkook. Meanwhile, Jimin watched Jungkook, sharing some kind of unspoken conversation as Jungkook groaned, fighting off the relentless effects of the virus.  
“Jin,” Jungkook said through clenched teeth, “Take In-Ha out of the room.” He didn’t look away from Jimin as he spoke, and you glanced from one to the other, wondering what the hell was about to happen.  
Taehyung seemed to take action, grabbing you by the elbow and looking towards his friend, sharing a silent moment before he walked you from the room. Jin practically dragged a screaming In-Ha from the doorway as she yelled Jungkook’s name, her voice breaking as tears flooded her cheeks.  
Taehyung pulled you aside when you asked him what was happening.  
His voice was low, almost lifeless as he met your eyes. His own were devoid of the light you had grown fond of, and his face was almost as pale as Jungkook’s had been.  
“Jungkookie always said, ‘If I get bitten, don’t let me turn into one of them.’”  
You frowned as he stopped talking, and you were about to ask him what he was talking about until you didn’t have to. In the same moment, one sound echoed through the house silencing everyone in a single heartbeat. And just like that, you knew exactly what Taehyung had been talking about, because the one sound that sliced through the chaos was none other than a single gunshot.  
And just like that, Jungkook was dead.

 

The house was cold.  
It seemed like it wasn’t only the weather that had frozen you all, but just the silence. It was so quiet. In the dark of the cottage, you all tried to sleep. You didn’t have to look around the room to know that not a single person’s eyes were closed.  
Not even the usual sound of breathing, of life, drifted through the room. It was like you had all died along with Jungkook. Jimin hadn’t spoken since he returned from the room. He’d ran outside, without his gun or a flashlight. You had followed him, taking a gun to be on the safe side, running after him as he stopped at the edge of the road a while away from the house, looking out at the fields and the clear, navy-blue sky as he clutched at his hair. He panted, half from the running and half from what he’d had to do, his breaths puffing out in white clouds as they drifted off on the icy wind. You hadn’t approached him, but he’d known you were there.  
Keeping your distance, you just stayed with him as he crouched down on the floor, his hands in his face. Eventually he sat on the ground, unmoving for what seemed like hours. He was stuck, staring off at the empty sky and empty fields. A tear escaped your eye, pent up emotions from the events of the previous hours. When you moved towards him, seating yourself on the gravel beside him just like he had done for you, he barely noticed you were there. You didn’t reach out for him like you wanted to.  
You wanted to wrap your arms around him, let him cry or scream – whatever he needed. But you didn’t.  
He didn’t speak when he stood up again, or when he began the journey back to the house.  
He didn’t speak when he took Jungkook’s body outside, burying it in the cold earth as Taehyung stood beside him. It was like he had no idea anyone was with him.  
And he still didn’t speak when he returned, closing the door to the room Jungkook had been in, boarding it up so nobody could get in. He sat by the fire, watching the flames die as In-Ha sobbed in a corner, not accepting the company of anyone – least of all Jin.  
Jin watched her from his seat, his heartbreak as obvious as the nose on his face. He stayed awake, fighting exhaustion as he waited for In-Ha to fall into a tear-induced coma. Even then, he didn’t sleep. He just watched his sister as she slept soundlessly, his guilt tearing him apart inside.  
Jungkook’s death broke you all in some way. And you feared that none of you would ever recover.  
Least of all Jimin.

 

At some point, you must have fallen into a reluctant slumber, as you were awoken by the sound of footsteps on the wooden floor of the cottage. You opened one eye, your heart hammering when you saw three shadowy figures entering the room. They were all in black, and you dreaded the worst.  
Slowly, silently, reaching behind you for your gun, you quickly whipped it around, sitting up and aiming it at the tallest of the three. He held a hand out, shining a torch in your face before his entire body seemed to freeze.  
“Y/N?”  
The voice made every single hair on your body stand to attention. Your heart skidded to a stop, and your airwaves seemed to close off. You knew you were wrong, and you were probably dreaming, but you were unable to move as everyone around you seemed to wake at the sound of voices.  
As the figure before you lifted his arm, bringing it to the ski-mask that covered his face, you almost didn’t want him to take it off. You didn’t want the ridiculous fantasies in your mind to end.  
When he tugged the mask off his head, his dyed-blonde hair standing to attention, you had no control over the tears that fell on command from your eyes. When his dark eyes met yours, and his familiar goofy grin spread across his face, you jumped up at such speed you felt light headed.  
Screaming his name, you flew into his arms. The arms you had missed so painfully. The arms of the person you never thought you would see again.  
The arms of your brother, Namjoon.

\------

You couldn’t believe that the moment you were experiencing was real.  
In your arms was your brother. The person you never thought you would see ever again. Your heart attempted to claw its way from your body as you looked up at his face, unable to comprehend that he was alive. That he was well.  
He looked upon you with the same expression. His eyes twinkled with the threat of tears as he watched another fall from your eye and trickle down your cheek. Pulling you in for the third hug in as many minutes, you cherished the moment, holding him tightly as if he was about to vanish. Your face pressed into the material of his black shirt, black leather jacket and black scarf as he wrapped his arms around you, his leather-gloved fingers clutching your arm just as tightly.  
“Is anyone going to explain?” Jin asked, his voice seeming loud in the darkness of the cottage. You turned from the warmth of Namjoon, facing the others. In-Ha watched you all wearily from the corner, her eyes bloodshot in the moonlight which bled through the window.  
You stepped out of Namjoon’s hold, your hands still on his arms, looking behind your brother at the men who stood behind him, their dark eyes watching you curiously. One of them more so than the other.  
“Joonie, who are these guys?” You asked, your glanced caught on a pair of smiling coffee eyes behind one of the ski masks. You weren’t threatened in the slightest by the one who looked at you, but the shorter man stood beside him watched you with an emotionless gaze.  
Namjoon looked back at the two men, gesturing his arm towards them. “These guys saved my life.”  
The kinder of the two stepped forward, taking your hand in a gentle handshake before his other pulled off his mask in one swoop. Two things happened; first, you were struck by how handsome he was. His smiling face was offset with bright white teeth and crescent moon eyes, whilst his dark brown hair flopped over his forehead in a heap of glossy strands. Second, Jimin rushed over, knocking him and almost sending him to the floor before he seemed to register Jimin, throwing his arms around him and laughing in disbelief.  
“Hoseok!” Jimin said, his voice cracking with a multitude of emotions. You looked at the two as they embraced, slapping each other on the backs in that weird ritual that guys seemed to follow, before you realised what was happening.  
Jimin had found his best friend.  
You were so happy for him, and you hoped that Namjoon and Hoseok’s arrival would shine some light on the darkness that Jungkook’s passing had brought upon the group. You already held high esteem for the men who had saved your brother’s life, and you were willing to make an effort to welcome them to the group.  
Hoseok pulled away, looking at Jimin and smiling so brightly it almost looked as if he was shining. He looked over, seeing Taehyung sat over at the edge of the room. He smiled, and Taehyung timidly returned with a small grin.  
“Where’s Jungkookie?” Hoseok asked, still smiling despite the cloud his oblivious words brought upon the room. You looked at Jimin, your heart aching when his face fell, returning to the blank state it had been in since he had come inside a few hours previous. Hoseok looked from Jimin to Taehyung, reading their faces as he seemed to realise, his eyes moving to the ground as he took it in.  
“Oh, my god. Jungkookie.” He breathed, a hand on his forehead as he gazed blankly around the room. He moved back to Jimin, placing a hand on his shoulder as a form of comfort, but you knew it was too late. Jimin was back where he had been before Namjoon’s arrival.  
Namjoon watched the display before him, mild confusion creasing his features as you eyed the third man behind Namjoon.  
He looked around, surveying the area with controlled features. His black hair hung over his eyes, slightly tangled after removing his mask. His jaw was set as he stood, his posture serious and closed off. Namjoon followed your eyeline, facing the man as he waved him over.  
“Yoongi, this is my sister. The one I told you about,” He turned back to you, his eyes twinkling as he smiled down at you with relief, “Y/N, this is Yoongi. He’s our leader.”  
You looked towards the man, making sure your expression was hopeful and welcoming. Yoongi already seemed tense to be around so many new people, and you didn’t want to give him the impression that you might pose a threat.  
Once Yoongi stepped futher into the room, he glanced at you passively, nodding at your existence before continuing to survey the area, as if he was planning something.  
He put you on edge, but if your brother trusted him, you figured you should too. Namjoon had always been a good judge of character.  
A wave of exhaustion flew through your body, and you tugged on Namjoon’s arm.  
“Are you staying?”  
He looked from you to Yoongi wearily, and you feared the worst. Surely he wouldn’t leave you after you had just got him back.  
“We have to get back to base.” He glanced at Yoongi again, “We were looking for supplies, I never dreamed…” He gazed down at you, as if it was all a dream, “I am so happy I found you again, Y/N.”  
Your heart began to crack, “Are you leaving me?”  
He shook his head quickly, “Of course not. Never again.” He looked back towards Yoongi again, and let go of your arm, “I’ll talk to Yoongi and see if you can come with me. We can handle one more person.”  
You blinked at his words. One more person? He thought you were going to leave your friends? Leave Jimin? “Joonie…I can’t come with you alone.”  
He frowned, looking towards Jimin and the others before looking back down at you, his features worn and tired but somehow still the familiar warmth of your brother lingered behind them. “But…I don’t know if Yoongi will take all of you. We’re on limited supplies as it is.”  
Panic seized your entire being at the thought of having to choose between your brother, and the new friends you had made. The thought of never seeing Jimin again left you with an unsettling amount of unease.  
You opened your mouth to speak, and Namjoon sushed you. “I will ask. Besides, I doubt Hoseok will want to leave his best friend.” You glanced over to where Hoseok and Jimin were talking quietly, most likely about the harrowing events of the past few hours. You nodded once towards you brother, leaving him to talk to a stern looking Yoongi as you wandered over to Jin. It was like he had aged ten years in the past five hours.  
He glanced up at you as you approached him, his eyes seeming to look past you, as if he wasn’t focused on your face.  
“Jin?” You said softly, perching yourself down beside him. He looked towards you again, briefly, before looking back towards In-Ha, who’s pale face was illuminated by the moonlight as she stared aimlessly out of a crack in the boarded up window.  
“Look at what I’ve done to her.” Jin murmured, his voice barely loud enough to be a whisper. You placed a hand on his shoulder.  
“You did all that you could, Jin. Nobody blames you for what happened to Jungkook.”  
He laughed humourlessly, “She does. And probably Jimin. Taehyung hasn’t even looked at me.” His glassy eyes rolled up towards the ceiling as he rolled his eyes, closing them as a tear escaped. “I spent so long trying to save everyone. Can you imagine if we had taken the cure to someone? I could have killed more than just Jungkook.”  
You took Jin’s hand, squeezing. “You were trying to save the lives of thousands, Jin. And someone would have found out about the cure before it hurt anyone.”  
He bit his lip as more tears travelled down his cheeks, “Shame it did hurt someone, Y/N.”  
You steeled yourself for what you were about to say. However harsh it may have been, you knew it was the truth.  
“Jungkook was going to die either way, Jin. He knew it, that’s why he asked Jimin to shoot him.”  
Jin looked towards you, a flicker of hope amongst the pain and regret that lingered in his eyes. “Really?”  
You nodded, solemnly. “Taehyung told me. It’s what he wanted.”  
You and Jin didn’t speak after that, but you felt that you had eased the burden on Jin’s shoulders, even if it was just a little. You wished you could do the same for Taehyung, In-Ha and Jimin. You knew that wasn’t going to be easy, but now that Namjoon was back with you, you felt anything was possible.

 

After a few hours, you had successfully convinced Jin and In-Ha to sleep. Taehyung had fallen asleep a little while before, meanwhile you, Jimin, Hoseok, Namjoon and Yoongi were still wide awake as Yoongi attempted to figure out what to do with the added people.  
Hoseok had already volunteered to stay with Jimin, freeing up a space for you to be with your brother once again. You had thanked him for being so kind to you, despite having only just met you.  
“Namjoon has told me so much about you,” Hoseok had smiled, his face bright in the dank atmosphere of the cottage, “You sounded so lovely, how could I be anything other than kind to you?”  
You had blushed, thanking him once again as Jimin looked on at you both, his interest slightly perked by your interaction. Jimin still hadn’t spoken to you since Jungkook’s death, and aside from welcoming Hoseok back, he’d completely closed himself off.  
Yoongi, however, had been against the idea of Hoseok leaving, insisting that he was the best shooter of the three of them. Where Yoongi excelled in hand to hand combat, Namjoon drove the van they had brought on their surveillance for supplies. He was also good with a gun, but worked better from a distance, while Hoseok worked the best under pressure – similar to Jungkook. You had learned from Taehyung that Jungkook had learned most of his gun skills from Hoseok when they all banded together after the blackout.  
Once the early morning broke, you had urged In-Ha to eat whilst Jin talked with the others, eventually managing to persuade her to go and wash in the now-working shower. She picked the washroom on the ground floor, as opposed to going up the stairs, past the room Jungkook had been in. You understood, and gathered her some of your own fresh clothes to borrow whilst you and Jin got your belongings ready.  
However you were all going split up, you needed to get out of the cottage. Too many bad memories had been made, and you felt that a change of scenery would be best.  
Loading the stuff into the van, you felt a shiver, and you watched as a snowflake fell, landing before you on the hood of the van. Before the blackout, this would have been exciting and you would have been preparing for the festivities in store for you and your family.  
Now, winter brought little happiness. It meant a huge struggle was ahead – the struggle to find food, shelter, warmth. The sky above you blanketed the sky in off-white clouds, carrying heaps of snow that would no doubt make travel more difficult.  
Jin’s eyes followed yours, looking up at the darkening sky, his brows furrowed against the early morning light. He glanced towards you, sharing your grimace of dread as you both pondered the challenging months ahead. The weather was cold enough, and now the promise of snow only made you more weary. You continuously worried about food, and now that any animals worth hunting would be getting ready to hibernate, your qualms only grew.  
“Guys, come on inside!” Namjoon called from the doorway of the cottage, snapping you from your unpleasant reverie.  
You and Jin trudged inside, both well aware of the increasing temperature drop the snow was already beginning to provide. Inside, Jimin stood next to Hoseok, who smiled at you warmly. You smiled back, happy that someone was being positive. The morale of the group needed boosting, and you felt Hoseok was someone who could help with that, despite you only knowing him a matter of hours, you already felt the welcoming personality that radiated from him.  
Namjoon smiled at you too, and you once again found yourself completely mesmerised by how lucky you were to have your brother back. Looking over at In-Ha, who had just entered to room, you knew that not everyone was as lucky.  
Yoongi’s gravelly voice caught your attention as he spoke up to the group. Despite his small build, he had a sense of authority about him that made you hesitant to get on the wrong side of him.  
“We’ve got a plan, but it’s going to be difficult.”  
Your ears perked up, and you felt Jimin’s eyes on you. For all you knew, this was the last moment you were going to see Jimin. He could be about to journey off without you, with Jin, In-Ha and Taehyung and you stayed with Namjoon. Your heart thudded painfully at the thought.  
Namjoon’s arm came around your shoulder, sensing your discomfort.  
“We’re staying together.” Yoongi said, addressing you all as his eyes dragged around the room. In-Ha came to stand beside you, and you clutched at her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. You were relieved you wouldn’t be leaving In-Ha. She had to be feeling so alone, you didn’t want to make things worse for her. Your eyes also met Jimin’s, and with relief, you thought you saw them soften as he scanned your face from beside Hoseok, but then he looked away again, and the moment was lost.  
Yoongi continued, and you listened intently to hear what the plan would be.  
“We know that the Rogues have another base within the city. They rarely go there, due to the vast amount of infected. We’re going to find it, kill them, and raid it before moving out of the city as soon as possible. We don’t need to be in the capital for any longer than completely necessary. Okay?”  
You remembered what you’d heard about the cities from Jungkook and Taehyung on your journeys looking for shelter and food. They were heavily populated with infected, most of them having been turned early on during the blackout, and due to being left for so long, you imagined they were stronger and harder to kill. The infection would have manifested for over a year by now, and you dreaded running into them.  
The thought of venturing into the city, seeing the abandoned chaos and hordes of infected turned your stomach.  
As you pondered that thought, you felt Namjoon’s arm squeeze around you tighter.

\------

**400 DAYS SINCE BLACKOUT**

The journey into the city had taken longer than anticipated, with the increasing snow and no people to keep the roads clear, it was a slow and uncomfortable drive as the eight of you squeezed into Yoongi’s armoured van – much like the one you had taken from Jackson. Inside, it was filled with maps, ammo and numerous supplies. It was evidence enough that the three of them had spent a lot of time in the van whilst looking for more food.  
No windows in the van meant you were faced with the tense and hopeless atmosphere of the group. In-Ha hadn’t spoken to anyone, and instead had fallen asleep, her head propped against the wall of the van. Taehyung was much the same – barely speaking or eating. He’d resigned to sitting alone, his black hoodie up over his head, and his eyes staring blankly ahead. Jimin still hadn’t spoken to you. For some reason, you felt like he blamed you. There was something in his eyes whenever he looked at you lately that made you feel guilty.  
Jin, Hoseok and Namjoon were the only people talking to you. You spent every day with all of them, or at least one of them. You’d gotten to know Hoseok pretty well; he was charming and kind, and he seemed to be the only person looking at things positively. You’d be lying if you’d said you hadn’t thought he was rather cute too. His bright, twinkling brown eyes watched you with curiosity and admiration, and you often found yourself blushing in his company. Now that Jimin was once again ignoring you, you seemed to find comfort in a welcoming spirit like Hoseok.  
You shivered in your seat, the cold numbing the tips of your fingers as you raked a hand through your hair. Looking towards the front of the van, your eyes scanned the white wasteland as snow continued to fall all around you. The seasons continuing as if nothing had changed.  
The van passed small clusters of houses, packed closed together like tiny little gingerbread houses, dusted with snow as if it was icing sugar. Instead of the twinkling of lights, you saw nothing but emptiness. Instead of homes, you saw abandoned shells. You wished you could have been blessed with the natural sight of children making snow angels in the gardens, or the warm cosy setting of a family nestled around a Christmas tree through the windows. Instead, all you could see were cracked windows and eerie shadows.  
The van juddered to a stop as the time came for another break. Yoongi had managed to find shelter, in the form of an old store, settled comfortably in the middle of the village you’d passed through. The icy blast of air hit you as the doors slid open, exposing you and the others to the elements. Hoseok held out a hand to help you down, his nose pink as he grinned at you from behind his dark burgundy scarf. You took his hand, thanking him with a trembling jaw as you wrapped your worn parka around you.  
Hoseok slid off his scarf, unwrapping it from around his neck and gently placing it over you, twisting it once around your neck. It was still warm from him, and it helped ease the bitter cold which had caught your body. You glanced around, looking for Namjoon. Your eyes snagged on Jimin. He watched you coldly, a look reminiscent of the first time you’d seen him, only with an edge. His jaw clenched hard, and he moved, his body tense as he walked over to where Yoongi stood.  
Hoseok hadn’t seemed to notice whatever strange exchange you and Jimin had shared, and he waved Namjoon over. Your eyes moved to the warm, smiling face of your brother. He pulled off his wool hat, plonking it onto your head, making you laugh as you adjusted it, giving yourself the ability to see again.  
The group quickly moved into the store, welcoming the slight respite from the harsh weather as Yoongi cracked open the door with a crow bar. It was still cold inside, far from welcoming, but it felt like bliss compared to the ice age going on outside.  
It wasn’t long before someone had lit a fire, and you were all huddled by it, attempting to get some life back into your frostbitten skin. Namjoon and Yoongi searched for food, Hoseok began locking up the doors, securing them temporarily for the night, leaving them easy enough to open in a rush in case of emergencies. You sat with Jin, eyeing the two silent people before you; In-Ha and Taehyung. They seemed to watch the flames of the fire in a trance-like state, the orange flames reflecting in their distant eyes.  
Your heart broke every time you looked at them, at what Jungkook’s death had done to them. While everyone else had been forced to continue, they seemed locked in their grief. You wished they could express it without bottling it up, but you felt in your current situation, that was easier said than done.

You couldn’t sleep.  
You’d spent the last few hours talking with Hoseok and Jin, about what awaited you in the city. About what could happen.  
Despite their positivity, you could see right through their determination. You knew they felt just as hopeless as you did. You knew they were scared.  
When they had fallen to sleep, you found yourself unable to rest. Your eyes staring blankly at the cracked ceiling of the convenience store, you’d gone over the possibilities. You saw only one outcome.  
You were going to end up like Jungkook.  
You pictured the entire scenario in your mind. The funny thing about it was, the idea of death wasn’t what scared you. It was what you would leave behind. Observing the empty shells Jungkook’s death had made of In-Ha and Taehyung, two of the most vibrant personalities you had known, sent you into a spiralling thought process which left your heart hammering.  
You couldn’t let that happen to Namjoon. You didn’t want to leave him like that.  
And so, you had wandered into the back rooms of the store, looking at the old, discarded cans, random litter and cracked drywall which filled the room. The heavy ball of dread that had formed in your stomach the moment going into the cities was mentioned had turned into a weight so heavy you could barely move. You stood, alone, listening to the rapid drum of your heart.  
“Y/N.” A voice shattered your nightmare, making you gasp as you turned, facing Jimin, who stood watching you a few meters away. In the dark, you could hardly see him, but you felt his eyes on you – something you hadn’t been able to shake. He took a step towards you, making you take one back. Your boots scuffed along the floor, the only sound, save your own heartbeat in your ears. “What are you doing?”  
You scoffed, unable to contain your disbelief. “Why do you care what I’m doing?”  
He didn’t answer you, but you saw his shoulders stiffen, his silhouette outlined against the moonlight which shone through the cracked window at the top of the storage unit.  
Neither of you spoke, both unsure of what to say. These were the only words you’d gotten out of Jimin since he’d kissed you outside of the barn a few miles from where you were now. All you wanted was his hands on you, even if he just held you. You missed him, and it was becoming unbearable. The only way you felt you could interact with him now, without your heart getting smashed into pieces, was through anger.  
You huffed when he continued to watch you without speaking, and you began to walk past him. You felt it before it happened; his hand reaching out to clasp your wrist, stopping you in your tracks. You wanted to sob, but the only thing you could do was pull away harshly, whirling around to face him. He was closer now, and you could make out the whites of his eyes as his dark irises watched you, silently. The only sound from him was the slight rustle of his breaths.  
“What?” You said, sharply. “You haven’t spoken to me in days, now you feel like you can ask me what I’m doing?”  
“You’re overreacting.” He murmured, his voice barely audible.  
You wanted to laugh, cry, scream. “I’m overreacting? Since Jungkook died, you haven’t said two words to me.” You eyed him, almost dreading the reply to what you were about to say. “It’s like you blame me.”  
Jimin didn’t reply, only watching you. You wanted him to cry, to do something to show that he still cared about you. But he did nothing.  
Your blood boiled.  
You shoved his chest, hard. “Do something! What is wrong with you!?”  
He staggered back a little, and his jaw tensed. “Don’t, Y/N.”  
“What?” You were crying now, hot tears trickling down your face as you stared at the most infuriating man you knew. “Don’t what?”  
He stared at you, his neck tense as the vein throbbed with restrained anger. “You want to know the truth?” He said, his voice brittle, “I do blame you. I blame us.”  
It was like he’d shoved a hot piece of iron directly through your stomach. Every word, every comment, died on your tongue with those words.  
He continued, a thin film of tears coating his eyes. “I blame us. We were the once who left the others, we couldn’t control ourselves, like a couple of pathetic teenagers. We aren’t even together, and yet we felt the need to sneak off while Jungkook got bitten.” His voice was shaking, with anger or sorrow, you were unsure. “If I hadn’t have followed you, Jungkook might still be ali- “  
Your hand flew out, connecting with Jimin’s cheek, the sound echoing sharply around the empty darkness of the room as Jimin’s words cut off before they could finish, but not before they could embed themselves deep inside your heart, your head.  
You dragged in breaths, your chest heaving as you sobbed silently, eyes staring at Jimin through a thick, blurry cloud of tears. He didn’t know that his words had just broken your heart, he didn’t know how true they were, how many times you’d told yourself them.  
Not just about Jungkook.  
Every memory of the beginning of this hellhole the blackout created flashed forwards, like a rushed picture show of regret and guilt. You remembered your roommate, how you’d left her to die. To be turned into one of those things.  
Just like Jungkook. Maybe you didn’t pull the trigger, maybe you hadn’t been the one to infect him, but you hadn’t prevented it either. Jimin was right. He should blame you.  
You let yourself catch your breath, not wanting to make a scene in case any of the others had woken up. Drying your tears with the back of your hand, you barely registered Jimin call your name softly as you turned and walked away.  
You hadn’t even told Jimin the worst thing about you, and yet he’d hit the nail right on the head.  
Walking away, you locked away the events of the past thirty minutes. You had gotten good at that.  
You’d had over a year of practice.

 

Nobody had noticed your momentary disappearance the night before.  
Preparations were made, and you all prepared to continue the journey into the city. Jin and Yoongi helped get the van ready, and Namjoon continuously asked if you were okay.  
You nodded, mechcanically.  
Jimin hadn’t approached you since the night before, he’d kept his distance. Though you had found him watching you occasionally, you felt like your ties from him were as severed as they could be. He blamed you for what he had to do to Jungkook, almost as much as he blamed himself it would seem. You blamed you.  
Hoseok spent the morning talking with you, telling you jokes, speaking sweetly to you in order to keep you cheerful. Little did he know, you were far from it.  
You and Jimin weren’t even together, and yet you felt like you had just broken up with him. The empty ache in your heart was back, and you rubbed your chest absentmindedly as if it was an uncomfortable bruise.  
Moving on autopilot, you helped get ready for the journey, watching as the snow began to fall again, adding to the already white horizon. Everything looked so clear, and clean. Yet the reality was far from it.  
Once you’d all gotten into the van, you stared vacantly, daydreaming about everything and nothing at the same time. Fighting with your thoughts to keep them away from Jimin.  
You could feel his every movement, as if you and him were joined, and when he looked at you, it was as if lightening was shooting through every nerve in your body. It was worse than when he was being nice to you.  
You were all cramped together in that van, practically touching, and yet you’d never felt so distant.

\------

**402 DAYS SINCE BLACKOUT**

The snowfall was beginning to intensify as the journey into the city continued. You’d now made it onto the outskirts of the looming city skyline, and as the van chugged along the increasingly icy road, dodging abandoned cars and cracks in the ground where overgrowth had begun to seep through, you all watched the sight before you with dread and trepidation.  
The day brought along a sense of sadness with it as you all prepared for your second Christmas since the blackout. Ordinarily, you would have all been spending time with family, and as you and Namjoon had worked out, it was now Christmas Eve, a day which used to be spent doing a very different type of travelling. Instead of going to see relatives in other cities, you were all approaching a city which could spell the end for you all.  
Things were tense in the van. It had been around forty hours since you and Jimin had spoken, and apart from dodged glances, you’d completely ignored each other. It hadn’t gone unnoticed by the others, and you’d received a few worried looks from Namjoon as he took in your withdrawn state. You’d simply smiled at him, attempting to feebly reassure him that you were fine.  
It obviously hadn’t worked. He’d looked towards Jimin more than a couple of times with a look of protective fury on his face.  
Silence coated the van as thickly as the snow whilst Yoongi directed the van towards any kind of shelter he could find. You all were very aware you couldn’t continue travelling in the heavy snowfall, and with a few positive words from Hoseok, you all agreed to stay put for a day or two in a safe place. Finding somewhere warm and safe, however, was not going to be an easy task.  
Hoseok was another person who had shown a high level of concern for you, despite being Jimin’s best friend. You were sure he at least knew the situation between you and Jimin, but you’d decided not to bring it up. Now that it seemed you and Jimin were over, despite never actually beginning, you just wanted to get the next few days over with. Once you had all located the Rogues hideout within the city, you could possibly leave with Namjoon. Every time Jimin looked at you, he looked as if he either wanted to cry or shout, and whatever he was feeling filled you with more guilt than you already held.  
The winter sun fell behind the clouds, bringing about a fierce chill and another downpour of snow. Yoongi directed the van towards a small cul-de-sac, heading towards some houses clustered together atop a hill, overlooking the city which awaited you. Climbing out of the van, your body instantly shivered violently as Yoongi began firing orders for you all to search the area. Hoseok instantly approached you, smiling so brightly you almost forgot about the cold.  
“Y/N, shall we?”  
He smirked at you, light-heartedly offering his arm for you to take. You smiled behind the scarf he had given you a couple of days ago, your heart lifting a little.  
When you turned to look back towards the group, Jimin was already marching off alone, followed closely by Taehyung. In-Ha stayed with Namjoon and Yoongi as they went into the house. You’d noticed In-Ha had grown less weary of Namjoon, opening up to him about Jungkook. You were thankful that she had been able to find someone to talk to and help with her grief. Namjoon had lost his girlfriend in the blackout before he’d driven to your university dorms to collect you, and his experiences were sure to help her grieve Jungkook.  
Glancing towards Jimin’s retreating form, you turned away, mentally telling yourself to focus on the task at hand. You held onto Hoseok, walking through the snow with him as you both scanned the woods behind the houses, hands poised on your guns ready to strike.  
“How are you, Y/N?” Hoseok asked softly, his face turned towards your own. You glanced up at his mocha coloured eyes, feeling completely under his spell.  
You smiled, a small twitch of your lips, and blinked up at him. “I’m okay.”  
Silence stretched on comfortably as you both continued to look through the snowy wood for any sign of runners….or worse. You felt strangely at ease with Hoseok. Maybe it was the upbeat nature of his personality, or perhaps it was the calmness of the silent snowfall, but you completely forgot you were even supposed to be searching for anything as Hoseok began telling you about his childhood. You were happy to hear that he had a childhood similar to your own, a sweet family and a sister. His smiles were dimmed a little as he seemed to relive memories of losing them. You gingerly asked him how he survived the blackout, reassuring him that he didn’t have to tell you if he didn’t feel comfortable.  
“No, Y/N. Don’t worry. Namjoon already told me all about you, it’s the least I could do.” He grinned at you again, making your tummy flip flop. “My parents and my sister were lost in the chaos of the blackout. My dad urged me to run once we heard them break into the house. I was completey clueless of what he meant. I thought they would be behind me.” He looked down sadly, “My sister had already been bitten by then. She was turning quickly, and my parents weren’t going to leave her to die alone. So, they told me to run. And I did.”  
You nodded, entranced by the heartbreaking nature of his story. “Namjoon told me you suffered the same kind of guilt. Your roommate?” You blanched at the memory.  
“Yes.” You said softly, “She….was bitten.”  
He nodded, seeming to understand your reaction as you remembered. “I understand what you feel. I’m sure you feel to blame.”  
You nodded again.  
“You don’t need to feel that way.” He continued, “I know. You’ve been told that so many times right? But I mean it, you don’t. When you’re faced with our kind of situation, there is no time for guilt. When I left my family, I felt like I might has well have been the virus that killed them. But I realised when I joined Jimin. We had to watch so many suffer, and I felt a strong sense of guilt. But I also felt helplessness. There was no way I could have helped those people, and there was no way I could have helped my family. It was best to respect their last wishes, to survive.” He gently took your hand, stopping in the snow as he turned to face you, “And you needn’t feel guilt over your roommate, or Jungkookie. He wanted to die on his terms, and your roommate likely wanted you to survive if she couldn’t.”  
Hoseok’s words permeated your entire body, filling you with a sense of discovery and calm as you began to slowly come to terms with things. You knew he was right, at the very least about Jungkook. He had wanted to die, rather than turn into one of the infected. Taehyung had told you himself.  
You met Hoseok’s eyeline, smiling genuinely for the first time in what felt like forever. You gazed at him, getting lost momentarily in the swirling depths of his brown eyes. The smile melted from your face as your eyes moved towards his lips, which had fell from their smile. His eyes followed yours, moving over your face, searching your expression as his body moved towards yours.  
You’d felt safe with Hosoek, and so, when he gently brushed his lips against yours, you let your eyes fall closed. His mouth pressed hesitantly to yours, lips moving slightly as they coaxed yours to follow his lead. You began to reciprocate, your mind whirling as his hand moved up to cup your face, fingers moving towards your hair while his chin nudged against yours, moving his own scarf away from your mouth.  
When your hands rested against his lean chest, you felt an overwhelming sense of discomfort.  
His chest wasn’t as hard as Jimin’s. His lips weren’t as plush, and his hands didn’t rake through your hair in a firm yet loving way. He wasn’t the one you wanted.  
Your hands pushed at his chest as his lips moved apart from yours quickly, instantly sensing your discomfort and respecting it.  
“I’m sorry, Y/N.” Hoseok whispered, his breath coming out as a white mist when you parted. “I shouldn’t have done that. You’re Jimin’s- “  
“You guys!” Taehyung yelled, making you turn swiftly to see Taehyung waving you over from the edge of the woods. You could barely make him out behind the sheet of snow which fell over you, and your heart froze the moment you looked behind him and saw Jimin watching you with a look so unreadable you were unsure if he wanted to kill you or kiss you. Snow clung to his dark hair as his eyes didn’t leave yours. You and Hoseok moved towards them, keeping a respectable distance.  
When you got close enough, you saw Jimin’s fists clenched by his sides, and that is when the penny dropped.  
He had seen Hoseok kissing you.  
You and Hoseok followed Jimin and Taehyung back to the others in a deathly silence. You worried that Jimin would hurt Hoseok, and he didn’t deserve that. He hadn’t done anything wrong, though you had a feeling by the dark look Jimin had given the pair of you, he didn’t see it that way. You were overcome with an unexpected sense of rage at Jimin’s reaction.  
Namjoon stood next to Yoongi and In-Ha when you made your way back to the van, heart racing at the events of the past ten minutes. Yoongi nodded you all over as he began speaking.  
“The Rogues have been here.”  
You shivered, bile raising to the back of your throat at the thought of those men and their sleazy sadistic leader, Jackson.  
“How do you know?” Taehyung asked, his brows furrowed. It was the most you’d heard him speak since Jungkook’s death.  
Yoongi glanced over to the house they had searched, his features blank as if he’d seen it all before. “There are the bodies of a family in there. Mutilated, but not by runners.”  
You grimaced as Yoongi continued, “It seems they are sending a message. So, they either know where we are, or they are looking, which means we need to be vigilant.”  
Everyone took in Yoongi’s words, and began preparing for nighttime as the sky began to darken. You looked around, feeling as if eyes were on you despite the area being clear.  
You couldn’t shake the feeling of trepidation as Namjoon led you inside the house.

 

The night was still as everyone settled to sleep. You’d had trouble sleeping for days since Jungkook’s death, since the events of the past month, really.  
Resigning yourself to another sleepless night, you wandered around the house Namjoon and Yoongi had secured. The house containing the bodies was left, and Namjoon had searched with In-Ha to make sure the second house was safe enough to stay in. Darkness enveloped the entire house, and as you made your way up to the top floor, you were bathed in the blue glow of the moonlight reflecting off the snow. Cold air leaked through one of the broken windows, and you looked down below at the glistening ground as it began to freeze. You wrapped your jacket around you, along with Hoseok’s scarf, almost screaming when you heard movement behind you.  
Turning, you were faced with Jimin.  
The unexpectedly dark look on his face filled you with a thousand feelings at once. His eyes watched you, twinkling against the moonlight as he stalked you.  
“Jimin, what is it? Why are you awake?”  
His lips moved, speaking slowly. “I could ask you the same thing. In fact, I could ask you a lot of things.”  
You knew exactly what he was talking about, but you stood your ground, not even flinching when he stepped towards you. “Oh?”  
He nodded, the look on his face sending chills down your spine for a completely different reason. Goosebumps flooded your skin as he moved towards you.  
“Jimin…what do you want?”  
He stopped right in front of you, his eyes boaring deeply into your own as you saw every piece of him. His chest was moving as fast as your own, and an unexpected sense of anticipation made your hands clench and unclench.  
“Why did you kiss him?”  
You held eye contact with him, unable to look away but also being too stubborn to even try. “Because I wanted to.”  
He almost flinched. Almost. He stepped towards you again, and for the first time you took a step back. This continued until you hit the wall behind you, your hands palming against the cold concrete.  
“You’re lying.”  
Your eyes moved towards his lips, and you didn’t even hide it. “What makes you so sure?”  
His eyes were so dark now, they were almost black as he caged you in between his warm body and the freezing wall. “I know exactly who you want, Y/N. And it’s not him.”  
Sadness pierced your heart as you remembered his words from only a couple of days ago. “But you don’t want me, do you? You made that pretty clear.” Your voice was quiet, a whisper in the silence of the house as everyone slept in the room below.  
His eyes softened momentarily, scanning your face with so much adoration you thought he would cry. His jaw clenched when his eyes met your lips, and he let out a breath which washed over your lips. “I never said that. Ever.” He waited a moment, before his forehead rested against your own, “I can’t want you, Y/N. That doesn’t mean I don’t. You make me rethink all my priorities. I can’t forgive myself when I’m with you.”  
You expected to feel angry at his words, but the pure heartbreak and hesitation which laced his voice made your heart sing.  
You didn’t speak as your hand moved up to the back of his head, threading your fingers through his hair as you pulled his mouth down to yours. He met you in the middle, his warm lips gripping your own while his entire body pressed against you, pushing you into the wall.  
He had never kissed you like this, like it was the last time he’d ever kiss you, but you savoured every brush of his tongue against yours. You didn’t want it to end.  
And neither did he.  
Pulling you away from the wall, Jimin pushed you into one of the bare rooms beside the stairs, gently closing the door behind you both and pushing you back against it, all the while tangling his tongue with yours hotly. You knew exactly what was about to happen, and you were desperate for every moment to go uninterrupted. Pulling impatiently at his clothes, you shoved his jacket off his shoulders, letting it hit the floor in a heap. He followed suit, ripping Hoseok’s scarf from around your neck, speaking against your mouth, “I don’t want you to wear this ever again.”  
The possessiveness of his words sent a thrill that shot straight to your core, and within seconds you were nipping at his neck as he pulled your jacket from your arms, throwing it off into the corner of the dark room. The only sounds in the room were your laboured breaths as you both continued to remove the only articles of clothing that were absolutely necessary, being too needy and impatient to waste any more time. Desire pooled low in your tummy as Jimin’s hands moved roughly over your body, sending heat travelling to the centre of your thighs. His lips latched onto your neck, most likely leaving marks you would have to cover. You barely thought of that as you moaned quietly against his ear, his body pressing you hard into the door.  
His hands moved lower, cupping your behind as his hips pinned yours to the wooden door behind you, you felt his arousal pressing against you, and that made you all the more desperate to feel his skin on yours. Your hands moved to his jeans as you snapped the button open, pushing them down roughly while his pushed your own jeans down your thighs, along with your panties. You shook them off your legs, freeing him from his underwear as his hands moved towards your upper thighs again, lifting you against the door in one fluid movement. You gasped as he lifted you, wrapping your legs around his waist as his eyes found yours, silently asking your approval. You answered simply by moving your mouth towards his once again, giving him full permission.  
His mouth muffled the tortured moan you made when he entered you fully, a groan escaping the back of his throat. You clutched at his sweater, tightening your legs around his waist as he began to move inside you. Waves of pure pleasure shot straight through you as his hands grasped your thighs tight enough to leave bruises. There was nothing sweet or romantic about the way he moved against you, and soon the door began to gently thud with your movements, forcing you both to move towards the cold flat surface of the wall. Jimin groaned against your neck with each thrust as your hands pulled at the hair on the nape of his neck. You gasped and breathed heavily as you attempted to process the ecstasy you were experiencing. The warmth in your core began to spread, and you knew you were close.  
“J-Jimin….I’m gonna…c-“ You whispered, your sentence ending on an unexpected groan as Jimin began thrusting into you harder, knowing you were almost there. You felt your centre beginning to tighten, and your moans soon began to get louder, prompting Jimin to bring a hand up, covering your mouth as he continued to ride out your orgasm with you, watching as you revelled in the extreme tidal waves of pleasure which flooded your body. He moved quicker, chasing his own release and becoming unable to control his own groans as you came back down to earth, returning the favour by covering his mouth with your own hand. Sweat misted your skin, and you gazed dreamily at Jimin, taking in the sweat dampened hair which fell over his forehead and clung to his skin. He thrusted deeply into you as he reached his own end, his head dipping so his forehead rested on your collarbone.  
His legs began to shake, and he gently placed you on the floor, your own legs feeling like jelly. He lifted his head to look at you as you pushed his hair from his forehead. He captured your lips with his own, kissing you softly.  
Once you had both dressed, you cleaned yourself up, making yourself look a little more presentable as Jimin zipped up your jacket. He took your hand in his, walking down the stairs with you and tiptoeing amongst the others as they slept, leading you to the chair where he had slept and seating himself there. He pulled you onto his lap soundlessly, and you let him. You brought your face low to his, so you didn’t wake the others.  
“Shouldn’t we talk- “  
Jimin shushed you with his lips. When he moved away, he spoke softly near your ear, “Let’s just enjoy this for a little while before we go back to the real world.”  
As he urged you to nuzzle into him, you smiled. “Okay.” You whispered, your face burrowing into the crook of his neck.  
You couldn’t agree with his idea more, and so as you both began to drift, bundled together, you did exactly what he said and enjoyed it.

\------

**403 DAYS SINCE BLACKOUT**

Waking up wrapped in warm, strong arms, you smiled sleepily to yourself as your ear pressed against Jimin’s chest, listening to the soft, rhythmic thud of his heart. You wished that every morning was this relaxing, this dream-like.  
Opening your eyes slowly, your eyes cleared, the blurriness dissipating to reveal two pairs of eyes watching you. At first, you were unfazed, but when you realised it was your big brother, and the guy you had kissed not twenty-four hours ago, your back straightened a little as you attempted to sit up from Jimin’s grasp. Namjoon, stood tall in his black t-shirt, eyed Jimin with a look so full of weariness and doubt that you felt the need to place a hand on Jimin’s arm, somewhat protecting him from your brother’s well-concealed wrath.  
Hoseok, on the other hand, looked towards you both with a look of curiosity and acceptance. His eyes met yours, and you were relieved when you saw nothing but understanding there. He glanced once at Jimin again and walked away, leaving Namjoon standing before you as Jimin stirred next to you, pulling you against him again. Namjoon watched the action with the usual overprotectiveness of any brother. He spoke to you with his eyes, stressing enough that he did not like what he was seeing, and walked away, allowing you alone time to wake Jimin up.  
When his eyes focused on you, he smiled sleepily, and sat up slowly, looking around the room before dipping his head down to yours and placing a sweet, soft kiss upon your lips. A little piece of your heart went with him as he moved away, and the rest of it followed when he gave you the shyest smile you’d ever seen grace his face. It was hard to believe that he was the same guy who had taken part in the nocturnal activities you’d indulged in only a few hours previously.  
You knew this bubble of butterflies and happiness couldn’t last. Despite the events of last night, you both had a lot to talk about, a lot of unresolved feelings you both had to confront, along with the imminent journey into the city. Being in the suburbs, you could now see the skyline standing dark and menacing between the broken slats of wood in the windows. Plus, the discovery of the bodies and the mark left by the Rogues was still fresh in your mind.  
Your smile became forced as the terrifying memory of what you were about to walk into pushed its way violently into the front of your mind, and you looked at Jimin, wondering what on earth you would do if the mission Yoongi had set for you all didn’t go to plan.  
You couldn’t lose Jimin, not after you’d just got him back.  
Jimin’s hand came to your cheek, his thumb rubbing gently underneath your eye, wiping away a tear you didn’t even know was falling. He knew exactly what you were thinking, you didn’t need to speak, and as he pulled you close for another kiss, you realised he had exactly the same fears as you.

 

The atmosphere in the van wasn’t exactly awkward, but the looks Namjoon kept giving Jimin from the rear view mirror certainly had you feeling on edge.  
Hoseok had yet to talk to Jimin about whatever had transpired between you both in the woods, and honestly, you weren’t sure how to approach the subject. You were positive Jimin was the guy you wanted, Hoseok was there to comfort you, and you had an idea that he understood that. He didn’t seem to hold any grudge against you.  
Jimin on the other hand, was still a tad jealous. He’d grabbed for your hand as you’d both been walking to the van, and your momentary surprise was soon quieted when you realised Hoseok was walking towards you both. Things had gone like that roughly the whole morning, and you hoped that they would put their schoolboy fight to rest soon.  
The buildings that passed the van grew larger and tightly packed as you realised you were entering the city. No runners had made an appearance as far, but you figured it wouldn’t be long. Every shadow that graced the cracked, overgrown ground of the streets you passed injected a fission of fear into you. The eerie silence which flooded the city caused every hair on your body to stand on end, anticipation sizzling beneath your skin as you waited for someone to jump out, for something to go wrong.  
As Yoongi directed the van seamlessly through the abandoned cars of the city, dodging bumpers of vehicles left by people who had rushed from the city during the eye of the storm when the blackout hit. Hundreds of scattered belongings; shoes, toys, cell phones, all send a shiver rolling through you. Jimin’s arm wraps around your body, squeezing you as his eyes follow the same path as your own, looking out solemnly towards the empty streets. The entire van was silent as you all took in the surroundings you’d all been blissfully kept from, choosing to stay in the outskirts of the cities, seemingly away from the danger you were all about to walk right into.  
Yoongi stopped the van, the absence of the juddering engine adding to the deafening silence. He turned, Namjoon following his lead as they began gathering supplies. When Yoongi pulls out four sets of small devices, you frown, wondering where on earth he’d managed to get them.  
“I’ve had these walkie talkies for a while now, figured there was no better time to use them like now.” He said, seeming to read your mind. He tossed one to Jimin, who caught it effortlessly, before giving one to Namjoon and Taehyung.  
You all split off into groups, Jimin choosing to stay with you and take the van, while Namjoon and In-Ha chose to explore some of the buildings, and Yoongi took Taehyung and Jin off to scout the streets for any signs of the Rogues.  
You were all expecting to run into an infected or two, but it was Jackson and his men that you really needed to get to. They had supplies that could keep you all going for months, maybe even years. As long as you got them to lead you there, you were positive the entire group could manage to overthrow them and take over their base.  
After splitting up, you and Jimin were left alone for the first time since the night before. An underlying fizz of electricity hung in the air between you, but you both fought to stay focused on the task at hand.  
What the task was, however, you were still unsure.  
“What exactly are we looking for again?” You murmured, your eyes glancing towards Jimin’s hands which were clenched tightly on the steering wheel as he drove slowly through the streets. Parks, houses and shops which would have been packed before the blackout now lay barren, abandoned and visited only by wildlife an infected. You almost gagged when you saw the shredded remains of a dog on the side of the road.  
It was clear that with no more humans inhabiting the city, the biters were getting desperate for something, anything, that they could kill.  
Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Jimin’s head turn fractionally towards yours. His chest moved deeply before he answered you.  
“Honestly?” He said, his voice as rough as gravel. The sound sent a shot of heat straight to your lower stomach, and you felt your thigh clenching together of their own accord. “I wasn’t listening. All I could think about was how to get you alone again.”  
That did it. Your cheeks burned, and the rest of your blood seemed to rush other places as your heart began to pound hard against your ribcage. You swallowed, and you felt Jimin’s eyes trained on the movement of your neck.  
You glanced once at Jimin, and you found him watching you, his eyes almost black as he stared at you, his graze dragging hungrily over your body, despite the fact your clothes hadn’t been washed in days. You didn’t exactly feel sexy, but it seemed that even the slight rip in your jeans was enough for him as his eyes trained on the tiny sliver of your thigh which was exposed.  
He let out a ragged breath, and you did the same, before he began turning the van towards an underpass. “Fuck it.”  
The moment the van stopped moving, you were at each other like a pair of animals. Hands ripping at clothes as you both impatiently made your way to the back of the van, abandoning the walkie-talkies in the front. Both of you fell in a heap on the floor of the van, Jimin’s lips trailing a searing path down your neck as he followed the line of your t-shirt. You worked fast to throw your hoodie off your body before his fingers reached the hem of your t-shirt, pulling it over your head before you followed suit, taking off his sweater before he took your face in his hands again.  
“Jimin,” You panted, your breath hot against his lips as he continued to kiss you, “We…shouldn’t be doing this….”  
His hands trailed down your stomach, diving underneath the hem of your jeans and into your panties as you gasped, a mixture of surprise and pleasure as his fingers began working some kind of magic between your legs. “I know,” He whispered harshly, breathless as you unbuttoned his jeans, “I can’t help it.”  
In a blur of moans, kisses, sweat and gasps, you were wrapped tightly together, Jimin moving inside you as he clasped your hand tightly, while your other clenched tightly at the thick bulk of his hair. He didn’t hurry, despite the complete inappropriateness of the moment, and he took his time, his lips roving over your neck, leaving little marks, adding to the collection he’d created the night before. You were a little sore, last night being the first time in a very long time you’d been with anyone, but the small amount of pain evaporated as quickly as your worries as you cried out, body arching as Jimin groaned above you while his hips flexed against yours.  
You both enjoyed your brief moment of bliss, revelling in the complete normality of two people coming together in a wave of passion and affection. Even as you both reached the end, it felt as if you’d both shared something so much more than a quickie in the back of a van, in the middle of an abandoned city. When Jimin’s lips graced yours in the aftermath, it was like he was speaking some kind of language only you could understand.  
It was then that you knew, despite everything, past, present and future, you were undeniably in love with him. The realisation filled you with a cocktail of fear and complete elation, as you became so determined to make it through to the other side of the hell your world had turned into, together, no matter what.

 

When the time came for you all to regroup, you and Jimin pulled up in the van, greeting the others with innocent smiles that fought to convince them all you’d been scouting for the Rogues. Sure enough, you had done that…eventually.  
Everyone pilled back into the van, Namjoon taking over driving duties as you all resolved to find somewhere safe to stay the night – a feat which wouldn’t be easy. Shaky smiles were offered thoughout the group as the chances of finding somewhere safe to sleep got slimmer and slimmer with each broken down building or cluster of rusted cars you passed.  
Yoongi chatted with Hoseok in the back about their findings as In-Ha slept soundly, being checked on by Jin as Taehyung sat in the front with Namjoon. Apparently, nobody had managed to run into infected, and Yoongi was suspicious. His eyes squinted in thought as he gazed through the window, looking hard for any sign of danger, and coming up empty handed.  
The van was unbareably silent as you all sat, hopes dwindling. Yoongi’s breath clouded up the cold glass as he looked off into one of the streets, his eyes widening as he moved away from the window.  
“Namjoon, fucking move!”  
Yoongi jumped away from the window as if he’d been burned, alarming you all as Jimin wrapped a protective arm around you and Jin threw his body over In-Ha. Hoseok gazed towards you, a strangely calm look on his face as he stayed still in his seat, back straight and eyes locked on you as everyone else seemed to panic when you heard the sound of screeching tires seconds before you were all thrown by the force of something hitting the van.  
As the van toppled, tumbling from the force of the crash into the other abandoned cars, you were all shaken and battered like marbles being tossed around in the spinning van. Jimin tried to hold onto you, but to no avail as you slipped from his arms, hurtling towards the roof of the van as pain bloomed throughout your body and everything went dark, sounds of breaking glass and screams fading to dead silence.  
Everything was quiet, the only sound being the roaring wind and a hissing sound most likely coming from the destroyed van.  
You couldn’t move, and every part of your body felt bruised and sore as your cracked open one heavy eye, instantly regretting the action as the pain in your head threatened to drag you under to unconsciousness once again.  
Your heart stopped, flatlining in your chest when you gazed above you, your blurry vision focusing weakly on the person standing over you.  
A person who had posed no threat until this very moment, as he looked down on you with a bloodstained grin, His dark hair, also damp with crimson blood as his head tilted sadistically from side to side as he watched your helpless form struggle to move. Normally, you’d never want to get away from him, but the look in his eyes was only telling you one thing.  
Run.  
As he moved down towards you, his arms cradling your body as he lifted you from the cold wet road, you wanted to scream, but found yourself unable to do so. Your wrist ached, and through glassy eyes, you saw as you were taken away from the bodies of your friends by someone you had trusted. Someone you’d told one of your darkest secrets to.  
Eyes finding the lifeless form of Jimin as he lay amongst the scattered wreckage of the van, a tear leaked from the corner of your eye and towards your temple as the person carrying you whispered in your ear, his voice once soft and welcoming, now sent chills throughout your paralysed body.  
“Don’t worry, Y/N. They will take care of you now.” Hoseok murmured, carrying you to an unseen place as unconsciousness lulled you under once again.

\------

The sound of the broken down engine leaking steam was the first thing that he noticed, then followed the harsh cold of snowflakes beginning to fall and dampen his entire body.  
He could move, that much was evident as he shifted slightly, the bruised skin of his face brushing against the icy tarmac of the road. Using his hands, braced upon the ground, he gradually pushed himself up, only one thought on his mind as his eyes began to dart across the horrific scene before him.  
“Y/N!?” Jimin whispered, looking around for her, finding nothing as his heartbeat pounded faster with each passing second. He stumbled to his feet, eyeing the unconscious faces of his friends around him, finding someone missing. “Hoseok?”  
“I’m here.” Hoseok murmured from behind him, blood staining his lips as he stood beside the crumbled van, hands in the pockets of his jacket. He looked so tranquil despite what had just happened, and Jimin’s stomach dropped with dread as he looked in the eyes of someone he didn’t recognise as his best friend anymore.  
He asked the question, dreading the answer as soon as the sound left his cracked lips. “Where’s Y/N?” Hoseok didn’t even flinch at Jimin’s brittle tone.  
“I took her someplace safe.”  
The cold, emotionlessness of his voice sunk a blade of betrayal deep into Jimin’s chest. He looked towards his best friend, former best friend, with confusion. He couldn’t fathom how Y/N could be safe anywhere other than with him. Taking hesitant steps towards Hoseok, he eyed him wearily, “What are you talking about?”  
Hoseok’s expression didn’t change, and when Jimin reached out to grasp his upper arm, in an effort to shake some sense into him, he froze when he saw a millisecond of pain flash across Hoseok’s features before the stone mask set in again.  
“What happened to you?” Jimin feigned genuine concern for Hoseok, puzzled as to why he would react in such a way to his touch, as if he had a wound underneath his jacket. The jacket was intact, so Jimin saw no way that the crash could have injured him so badly. Though he didn’t rule out bruising, Jimin knew Hoseok well enough to know he had a higher pain threshold than anyone he knew.  
This was the first moment Hoseok acted anything other than indifferent. He moved away, turning his body so his arm was faced away from Jimin as he fought to maintain composure. “Nothing, we just had a crash.”  
“Let me see.”  
Hoseok looked panicked, and Jimin knew he’d got him. “No.”  
Jimin continued to push him, almost glancing over and making it obvious when he saw Yoongi moving slowly behind Hoseok, crouching down with a piece of broken plastic from the van in his hand. He brought a finger to his lips, indicating for Jimin to stay silent as he prowled, his body smooth and agile.  
Jimin continued to push Hoseok, pretending that nothing had changed, waiting for Yoongi to do whatever he had to in order to let Jimin get some idea on what had happened to his best friend and the girl he loved.  
Loved. He’d have to come back to that later.  
As Yoongi neared Hoseok, Jimin watched as he knocked him out in a swift movement. Jimin caught Hoseok as he fell forward, dragging him over towards the side of the empty road, his sore muscles protesting. He grunted as he plopped Hoseok down in a heap, turning to face Yoongi. His black hair was damp at his temple with blood, and a cut adorned his cheekbone, though he still maintained the passive look he always wore.  
“Thanks for that.” Jimin said, Yoongi nodding in response before crouching down beside Hoseok, lifting up the sleeve of his jacket and slowly exposing the skin of his arm.  
Jimin gasped when he got to the top of his arm, on the skin above his elbow. The raw, angry red skin that welcomed him sent a chill throughout his body. His worst fear had been that he would find a bite – it would explain Hoseok’s distant reaction – though that is not what he found.  
There, branded into Hoseok’s skin, was the bruised burn of the letter R.  
R for Rogues.

Waking under bright lights, covered in smooth, slippery silk, your eyes opened as your brain woke up along with the rest of your body.  
The paralysis you’d experienced after the crash had left your body, and as feeling returned, so did the pain. Everything ached, from your head to your toes, and the feeling of the silk sheets brushing across your bruised body made you wince. As you looked around the room, you realised you were on a bed. A luxurious bed in that sat soundly in the centre of a lavishly decorated room. Lights shone down on you, stinging your eyes.  
Your head tossed, your mind catching up with you as your eyes darted around your surroundings, panicked. Moving your arms became useless as you realised you were bound to the bed, rough ropes digging into the skin of your wrists with each movement. Your lungs dragged in air as you attempted to find a way out, the claustrophobia of being restrained becoming overwhelming. Tears blurred your vision as you violently attempted to free your hands, only resulting in red welts forming on your wrists.  
Sobbing silently, you let the tears fall as you waited for whoever had brought you here to make an appearance. It seemed like hours passed as you lay there, waiting.  
When the door of the room clicked, indicating that someone was entering, you reluctantly turned to see who would come in, despite the thick dread unfurling in your body.  
You were met with a shock of white-blonde hair as Jackson’s sleazy grin made your stomach turn.  
“Hello, beautiful.” His voice as smooth as poison. Every part of your body crawled, and bile rose to the back of your throat when you thought of your last encounter with him. His mouth covering yours in a sickening kiss that made you want to throw up. Nothing had changed in your reaction to him, his very presence brought of veil of disgust and hatred over your body.  
You realised with a small dewdrop of delight that you were no longer scared of him. Whatever he had planned, you’d been through that and worse. You were ready to take him on.  
He swaggered towards you, and the horrified anticipation in your body began to build when you realised you were almost utterly helpless. Your legs weren’t restrained, but you doubted you could do much damage with them when the moment came to it.  
You’d have to think of other ways to get away.  
Jackson’s black eyes raked over your body as you lay beneath the silk sheets, eliciting pure revulsion. You could tell by the cold prickling your skin that you weren’t dressed in much, and nausea rolled in your stomach when you realised he’d probably undressed you.  
If not him, one of his other men had. That thought didn’t soothe you at all.  
“You look mighty fine laying here all for me.” Jackson smirked, as if he was expecting you to swoon. You all but grimaced. His words were like syrup laced with cyanide.  
His hand came to the bed, his palm smoothing over the silken sheets, moving slowly towards your thigh as he watched your face for your reaction. It was like he got off on your discomfort. You didn’t give him the satisfaction, turning your face away from him as you stared up at the ceiling. This seemed to anger him, as he ripped at the sheet, revealing your barely dressed body.  
The clothing, if you could call it that, was also silk. Tiny, white silk shorts paired with a matching camisole was all you wore. Every part of you wanted to freeze up and scream at the top of your lungs, but you ignored your discomfort and panic as Jackson’s hand slithered up your leg from the ankle, his palm trailing up your leg, past your knee.  
The urge to clamp your thighs shut almost became too much, but he thankfully aimed for your hip, as he crawled onto the bed, hovering above you with a warped look of accomplishment as he forced you to look at him.  
His hand moved up towards your waist as his face came down, nose to nose with your own as you refused to back down. His eyes flicked to your mouth, set in a straight line as you distanced yourself from the moment, making every effort not to let your emotions take over your rational thinking.  
You almost had him right where you wanted him.  
His breath washed over your face, and you almost gave when his hand moved over your ribcage, towards your breast as he grasped it tightly, so it was almost painful. His lips moved nearer to your own, and when he opened his mouth, he thrust his tongue into yours, pressing his entire bulky body against you. You almost gagged when you felt his hardness against your thigh.  
Thinking quickly, you clamped your jaw down hard, your teeth cutting through his tongue in one smooth move, as if it was butter. You mouth exploded with the metallic taste of blood, and you felt his entire body freeze as he pulled away from you, blood spilling out from his open mouth. He sprang from the bed, falling on his backside onto the floor as he brought a hand to his mouth, eyes watering and wide as he watched you.  
Taking this as your moment, you spat out his blood and the half of his tongue, almost vomiting before you turned your attention to your restraints. Clenching your jaw you pulled at your restraints, hard enough so the sharp tug of pain rippled over your skin, and you felt a small trickle of blood falling down your arm as the rope grazed your wrist. You cried out in pain, wounds forming on your wrists as you fought with the rope to free yourself. Once you had freed one hand, you turned, watching as Jackson shook violently on the floor, either from pain or shock. Blood was still running down his chin, and you looked on with satisfaction as he made garbled attempts to curse at you as he watched you successfully free your other hand.  
You scrambled off the bed, figuring you had enough time before the other men came looking for Jackson to collect some necessities. You grabbed a vase from the nightstand, walking over to Jackson who was cowering on the floor, his speech a gargling mess as you lifted the vase above your head and brought it down over his head. The vase broke, and his body fell back.  
Ignoring the new cuts on your hands from the vase, you tugged at Jackson’s clothes, taking them from his body before shoving them on over your bloodstained lingerie. Your body was vibrating from the adrenaline, and you used every moment to get what you needed. Pulling whatever you could find from Jackson’s pockets, you managed to find keys, and a gun tucked into the waistband of his cargo pants. After pulling his large shirt over your blood-soaked cami and slipping on his boots, you slowly left the room, gun loaded in your hand as you breathed heavily, eyes darting around ready to spot a threat.  
The house was lavish and decorated as if the blackout had never happened. You tiptoed through the house, coming towards an office where you found a few more supplies. You bandaged up your wrist, wincing at the wounds from the ropes, and you managed to find a jacket. Looking out of the windows, you realised it was completely white outside. The snow looked deep, and you became determined to make it out of wherever you were. You collected some ammo from the drawers, along with more bandages before you made sure you had Jackson’s keys in your pocket.  
Nobody seemed to be around, but you knew better than to just assume, so you quickly made your way back to the bedroom where Jackson still lay unconscious. Out of the floor-to-ceiling windows, you saw a truck sitting outside what appeared to be a compound. On the horizon over the walled gardens, you spotted the city. Not knowing if your friends were ever alive, you decided you would venture alone to find them.  
Bundling up the sheets from the bed, you wrapped them around your hand before taking a deep breath. You punched through the window, wincing at the noise it made. Sure enough, if people weren’t on their way before, they would be now. You eyed the drop, and the space between were you would land, and the truck.  
You’d be able to make it. You’d have to.  
Kicking out the remaining glass from the windowpane, you stepped out onto the ledge, looking back in time to see the door handle rattle before Jackson began to stir. You looked towards the city again before steeling yourself, and then, jaw clenched, you jumped.  
You landing wasn’t perfect, and you felt a piercing pain shoot through your ankle, making you sob out in pain as you looked back to the window. The red-haired man, looked towards you, his face badly bruised from the last encounter he’d had with you and the others. Feeling you owed yourself it, you gave him the middle finger, breathing hard from the pain in your ankle before you limped through the snow on the ground towards the truck.  
You wasted no time, clicking the keys into the ignition with shaking hands and almost crying with joy when the engine started without protest. You were definitely not the best driver, but that didn’t matter at that moment. You stomped your foot down on the gas before driving the car from the compound, the only sound being your heavy breathing and the screeching tires. 

Jimin watched Hoseok closely.  
He still hadn’t woken from when Yoongi knocked him out, and Jimin was experiencing an extreme sense of betrayal and anger. He couldn’t believe his best friend had done this, and he was practically shaking with the effort not to slap Hoseok awake.  
In-Ha and Taehyung helped treat Namjoon’s wounds. They were minimal, but Jin had advised that they needed to be bandaged if the snow was to continue. Jin had attempted to help In-Ha, but to no avail. She was still at odds with him since Jungkook’s death, and Jimin prayed that soon she would come to terms with everything. Namjoon seemed to be helping her though, something Y/N had been thankful for. Jimin and Yoongi were still at a loss as to where all the infected were.  
The cities were usually infested, but ever since they’d arrived, nobody had come into contact with any biters. The city was literally empty.  
The noise from the crash was likely to have attracted some attention, had there been anyone there. But nothing. It had been hours.  
“I don’t understand.” Yoongi murmured again. He’d been the most shocked by Hoseok’s betrayal, second only to Jimin. Yoongi had spent months with him, and yet he’d not noticed anything about him that would indicate that he was a Rogue. Other than his willingness to help Namjoon find Y/N, but he’d always figured that was his nature. It used to be.  
“I need to know where she is.” Jimin whispered. He couldn’t shake the thought of Y/N being held captive by Jackson. The things he was probably doing to her. It made his entire body shake with rage.  
His eyes darted to Hoseok once he began to stir, and when his eyes opened, it was like he was someone else. Jimin moved towards him, grabbing his jacket.  
“What the fuck have you done?”  
Hoseok had the audacity to laugh. “I’m saving myself, like my father told me.” He scoffed when Jimin frowned, “You think I wanted to die along with you fools? Like Jungkook.”  
Jimin brought his fist up, ready to hit Hoseok square in the jaw. “Don’t you fucking dare.” Yoongi pulled Jimin away as Hoseok laughed heartlessly.  
“Even Jungkook didn’t stand a chance, not with you lot.”  
“Who the fu- “ In-Ha began, before being stopped by Namjoon. Jimin saw that she too was ready to take care of Hoseok, along with Taehyung who watched silently, his eyes glued to Hoseok with such a strong hatred that it radiated from his body.  
“Where is Y/N? You don’t give a shit about here, why are you doing this?”  
Hoseok tilted his head, “That’s subjective. She’s somewhere safe, Jackson assured me. He’ll take care of her, alright.” He cackled menacingly again, and Jimin clenched his jaw with the effort not the kill him. “Put it this way, Jimin. At least she’ll die somewhere warm.”  
The moment seemed to move in slow motion.  
Jimin fought against Yoongi’s hold to launch himself at Hoseok, but suddenly he was hunched over, and Taehyung was before him, diving something deep into his stomach, his hands stained with blood as Hoseok slid to the ground. Taehyung backed away from Hoseok, dropping a broken blade of glass, covered in blood as he looked, horrified at what he’d done.  
Hoseok knelt on the floor, the front of him splattered with dark red blood as he paled, looking towards Jimin with what appeared to be a flash of guilt before the smirk set in.  
“Good luck finding her, Jiminie.” He grunted, his eyes losing all light as he fell forward in a still heap.  
Taehyung collapsed against the dented door of the van, his hands trembling as he stared at Hoseok’s blood which coated his skin. Jimin watched, his heart hammering at the events before him. Everyone was silent, and as the snow continued to fall, so did Jimin’s hopes of finding Y/N.

\------

The winter was always the roughest time.  
You held vivid memories of you and Namjoon huddled up in abandoned houses, even settling for burnt out cars when you were unable to find shelter. The tips of your fingers ached with the memory of the intense frostbite you’d both endured, followed by the threat of pneumonia or worse after being exposed to the icy conditions. Somehow, you both always managed to come out on the other side, welcoming the melting snow and birdsong the following spring with delight that you had survived.  
That had been last year. Now you were alone, stuck in the middle of a ghost-town, with a broken-down truck left, the keys still in the ignition as you waded through thick snow. Fuel had ran out, and now you were forced to walk through the suburbs, deeper into the city with frail hopes of finding your friends.  
The wind howled around you, a taunting reminder of the unbearably cold blizzard you’d found yourself in. You wondered briefly about going back to the truck, waiting it out. But determination kept your feet buried in the snow, your legs burning as your footsteps pushed through the heavy bulk of snow that had been falling for the past eight hours.  
Your ankle was still bruised, though the snow had managed to numb the pain somewhat, leaving you with the inclination that you were probably moments away from experiencing frostbite. Snow stuck to your eyelashes and your hair as you shivered, your teeth chattering violently as you pulled the bulky jacket you wore tighter around you. Trees passed you by as you attempted to follow the road, or what you could make out of it anyway.  
The truck hadn’t been able to handle the thick layer of snow that covered the now unused roads, and it had somehow sputtered to a stop, forcing a cry of frustration as you reluctantly got out to brave the cold.  
Now, you were almost a mile away from the truck, your face frozen in place and your feet hauntingly numb in the boots you had stolen from Jackson. The eerie silence was the worst thing about your situation. The absence of sound, in any form, was enough to send someone insane. The only thing you could hear above the roaring wind was the crunching of your boots on the snow. You missed silly things, like the sounds of cars moving by you on the roads, or the sweet, firm voice of Jimin.  
Jimin.  
Your chest ached whenever you remembered your last image of him, laying lifeless on the ground, face down and eyes closed. His dark hair damp with blood at the temple, and his lips parted. Every time he crossed your mind, you wanted to burst into tears. You were worried about each and every one of them.  
Why had Hoseok betrayed you all? You’d trusted him with the things you wanted to forget, and he was a Rogue all along. The betrayal had stuck a thorn deep under your skin, and you knew if you ever saw him again, you’d never be able to forgive him for what he’d handed you over to.  
Something that surprised you about your surroundings, as you left the road and began making your way through the dense wood on the side of the highway. Not once had you run into an infected, not even in the city.  
Where were they all?  
Before you could ponder any longer, something from the corner of your eye caught your attention, as you turned, squinting through the dissipating snowfall to see a pair of yellow eyes staring out at you from a mane of grey tangled fur, your breath caught harshly in your throat. A coyote.  
Like the one you and Jimin had encountered together.  
Your heart thudded to a halt as you stared the creature down, your hair standing on end as it continued to watch you with mild curiosity. It unveiled its coral-pink tongue to lick at its black lips, and you figured you were on a time limit.  
Continuing to stare the creature down, you ever so slowly began to reach around to the back of your pants where the gun you had taken from the compound was tucked. Your breath left you in slow, measured clouds of white air as your hand grasped the handle of the gun, tears springing your eyes at what you were about to do.  
Never in your life had you killed anything that wasn’t an infected or a small bunny. There was just something about killing a coyote that made you utterly distraught. Little gasps left your throat as you sobbed quietly, bringing the gun and pointing it at the animal.  
Dragging in a deep breath, the cold air stinging your worn out lungs, you tightened your finger on the trigger, letting out a gasp when it fired, sending a bullet straight into the head of the coyote. Blood spotted the snow as the animal slumped, an unmoving mass of fur. Tears crawled down the skin of your face, and you resolved to keep moving and not to dwell on the moment.  
You travelled deeper into the wood, shivering against the harsh wind which shook the trees, depositing more snow on top of you. When you found a clearing, you weren’t shocked to see that the river had frozen over. The small trickle of water was stationary as you saw glistening specks of ice on the surface. You resolved not to cross and instead to walk along the river, hoping it would lead you either to shelter or towards the city. Your legs burned almost as much as your fiercely determined heart, and as you saw the skyline of the city over the horizon, you only grew more desperate to find your loved ones.

Jimin hadn’t been able to look away from the blood that stained the road.  
In a matter of moments, his best friend had died, along with every shred of information as to where Y/N could be. It was almost too much for him to handle.  
Walking through the lifeless city, trudging through the heavy layer of snow, Jimin held his gun close to his body, unsure where the future was going to take them all after the events of the past few hours. The sky began to turn a dark navy colour, and all Jimin could think about was Y/N. He needed to find her.  
“We should find somewhere for the night.” Yoongi stated sullenly, helping Namjoon walk on his bruised ankle.  
“No!” Namjoon and Jimin said at the same time, earning a glance of surprise from each of them.  
“My little sister is out there, I’m not leaving her.” Namjoon grunted as the group came to a stop.  
Yoongi huffed, “You can barely walk, man. You can’t keep going like this.”  
Jimin knew there was no way he was stopping until he’d found Y/N. “I’ll go.”  
Yoongi scoffed, his brows furrowing as if Jimin had just said the Earth was round. “On your own?”  
“I’ll go with him.” Taehyung murmured, stepping forward. He looked over at Jimin, his dark eyes red and bloodshot. He looked towards Yoongi who muttered in protest, saying the group should stick together, and Jin who also wore a look of disapproval.  
“I don’t know, Tae.” Jin said, looking up at the rapidly darkening sky. “It’s not going to be light for much longer. It’s too dangerous.”  
In-Ha nodded, a helpless look crossing her face when she saw Namjoon’s distress. The wind increased in speed, and a chill shot through the entire group as the snow resumed its rain upon the city. Jimin looked up towards the sky once more, renewed determination surfacing within him.  
“We have the walkie talkies. We can use them if we get into any trouble, then you can find us.” Jimin said, eyeing Yoongi who still maintained the doubtful look he’d worn before. “I’m sorry, Yoongi, but I can’t lose her. Surely you must understand?”  
A dark mist crossed over Yoongi’s features at Jimin’s words, and he looked to the ground, his frown deepening. Namjoon looked over sadly at him, as if he knew what had caused him such inner turmoil. Jimin looked around, his eyes falling to Taehyung as he nodded towards him.  
“You guys find somewhere safe. We will call for help if we need it.” He took the walkie talkie that Taehyung held and loaded his shotgun. Jin nodded once, understanding that he wasn’t going to take no for an answer, and reached into his bag, pulling out bandages and alcohol.  
“If you need it.” He said, handing them to Jimin. Jimin thanked him, and turned to walk away when In-Ha said something.  
“Let me go with you.”  
Jimin turned back, eyeing Jin.  
“Absolutely not, In-Ha. You’re not going with them, you’re staying here.” Jin’s voice quivered more with worry than anger.  
In-Ha zipped up the leather jacket she wore, pulling out her shotgun from her bag and throwing it to Jin. “I’m not a child, Seokjin. I can take care of myself.”  
Sensing that it wasn’t his place, Jimin simply stood and waited as In-Ha walked beside them, Jin calling after her. Namjoon watched In-Ha carefully, with measured amounts of concern and admiration.  
Not caring who was with him, Jimin set off down the centre of the city. The sky blackened, and the snow continued to fall, but nothing was going to deter him from finding Y/N and making the Rogues pay.

You were losing energy.  
The snow had grown so deep it was almost halfway up your thigh, and as you crossed over the cornfield, torch in hand, you lived in a constant state of fear that an infected would jump out of nowhere. Your bullets were dwindling, the gun only having four left after shooting the coyote. For the first time since you’d escaped from Jackson’s compound, you truly felt you were going to die out there, in the snow.  
You skin was so frostbitten that the tips of your fingers had lost all feeling, and it was slowly working its way down to your wrist. Soon you wouldn’t be able to grasp the gun properly. The icy temperature, combined with your nonstop walking, had zapped all the energy from you. You found yourself stopping to catch your breath more frequently, and your breathing was becoming shallow with the effort to keep moving.  
The snow was still falling, lighter than earlier, but with no daylight to help you find your way, it was compromising your ability to see. The shadows of the city skyline had grown closer, and you felt as if you were in touching distance.  
So close.  
You entered a clearing, and you were happy that you could somewhat see what you were doing now that you had gotten out of the corn field. Your stomach clenched with hunger, and the light-headedness of being without food or water for so long was beginning to take its toll.  
You stumbled over something, managing to catch your footing for fear that if you fell down, you wouldn’t be able to get back up. The wind was fiercely cold, whipping your hair around your face and behind you. You continued to walk, finding a footpath which had been guarded from some snowfall by an old brick wall.  
Your legs felt like blocks of ice, and they were becoming heavy with the dampness of your clothing from the snow. You leaned against the wall once more, breathing heavily as your legs shook with the effort of keeping you up.  
You were so close to the city, you couldn’t give up now.  
Pushing yourself away from the wall with renewed but still waning determination, you used the wall as leverage to drag yourself along the footpath. When the wall ended, you approached a frozen lake. The snow gave you no indication of any other way to get around it, and so you figured you’d have to try and walk across it.  
You stepped onto the lake, your foot unsteady on the slickened ice. Taking baby steps, you stayed vigilent for any sound of cracking over the intense noise of the wind. You were close enough to the edge to make it back.  
When you heard nothing, you took a deep breath, continuing your journey across the ice.  
You heard something, faintly over the wind. It almost sounded like someone shouting. Your eyes darted around, but the snow was too dense, and you couldn’t see through it. You continued walking, taking things easy as you heard it again. Closer.  
Someone was calling your name.  
You turned, looking all around you when you saw someone who made your entire body feel weightless.  
Jimin.  
Taehyung and In-Ha were with him. They waved you over.  
Your footsteps became faster as your heart almost burst from the overwhelming relief. Jimin and Taehyung moved to meet you on the ice.  
That’s when you all heard it.  
Growling.  
You turned to find a biter approaching you, and fast. Jimin made his way towards you quicker as Taehyung and In-Ha took care of the runner, In-Ha managing to shoot him square in the head with her shotgun. His body fell to the ice with a thud.  
And then a crack.  
Your heart jumped into your throat as you watched the split in the ice work its way towards you, Jimin and Taehyung. Jimin’s hands reached yours when the ice beneath the three of you gave way, sending you all plunging into the arctic water beneath.  
The cold made your body tense, and your eyes opened, stinging against the icy lake. You saw Jimin through the murky water, who pulled you towards him, dragging you both up as In-Ha perched on the edge, ready to the pull you both out.  
You coughed, catching your breaths as everything became silent. Only the sound of yours and Jimin’s harsh breaths could be heard.  
Jimin looked towards the crack in the ice.  
“Taehyung’s still down there.” He said, getting up.  
You tried to pull him back, “Jimin! Please be careful. Please!”  
He dived in, and from that moment you waited, holding your breath as you prayed for him to return to the surface with Taehyung. Time passed so slow, it felt like centuries were passing as they failed to resurface.  
Your heart was hammering as you dragged in deep breaths.  
You’d just got him back. You couldn’t lose him again.  
When Jimin’s head cascaded from the water, as he gasped, dragging in air. You worked quickly, dragging him out, your heart lifting and sinking in the same second as he pulled out a lifeless Taehyung with him. In-Ha took off her jacket, wrapping it around Taehyung.  
His face was ashen, and his lips were blue. Jimin pumped on his chest firmly, placing his lips over Taehyung’s and pushing air into his mouth, repeating the motion several times.  
You couldn’t believe this was happening. Not again.  
Jimin continued for several more moments, tears streaming down his cheeks with each failed attempt. You joined him, sobbing as you watched Taehyung’s body, frozen.  
Suddenly, Taehyung’s chest vibrated violently as he spluttered water, coughing violently as Jimin flipped him onto his side, slapping his back to help him get rid of all the water on his lungs. Taehyung’s eyes opened widely as he dragged in deep breaths. You laughed in relieved joy, wrapping your arms around a very disorientated Taehyung as In-Ha took the alcohol Jin had given Jimin.  
“I think we all need a drink after that.” She swigged from the bottle, handing it over to Jimin who followed suit.  
Jimin and Taehyung gathered their wits, Jimin took out a blanket from his backpack, wrapping it around you.  
“Let’s get back.” He said, kissing you soundly on the mouth.

Over two hours later, and half a mile of Jimin carrying you on his back, you’d made it into the city.  
Once Jimin had alerted the others that you’d been found, he’d gathered directions on where they were. You relayed the events of your capture to the others, feeling Jimin shake with anger beneath you, and they in turn told you what had happened to Hoseok.  
Taehyung stayed very quiet around that part.  
You couldn’t stop thanking them all for coming to find you, and you rewarded Jimin with a kiss on the neck, which he returned with a squeeze of your thigh, making your entire body shiver.  
Yoongi, Namjoon and Jin had all managed to find a dilapidated town-house to stay in. Apparently, it was warm enough, and sheltered you all from the endless snow. When you made it back to them, you were surprised to find the door open.  
“They are probably waiting for us.” Jimin murmured, failing to squash the unease which bloomed in your chest.  
Entering the building, you observed the crumbling walls and rotting wood with near-joy. You were so happy to be someplace that could shield you from the wind and horrid weather. Rounding the corner to the family room, or what used to be the family room, all hopes of relaxation died when you found Jin gagged and bound, laying on his side on the floor of the room with blood leaking from a wound on his brow.  
In-Ha instantly rushed over, and you hopped off Jimin’s back, eager to help Jin out of his ties. He was breathing heavily, and the blood was still wet, indicating he hadn’t been left long.  
Jimin and Taehyung loaded their guns, searching the place for any intruders.  
“They took them, the Rogues too Yoongi and Namjoon.”  
Namjoon. Once again your brother had been taken from you.  
As In-Ha untied Jin and attempted to clean the wound on his shaking face, you sat on the ground, seething with anger.  
They had taken our brother again. Only this time, you knew exactly where to find them.  
And you weren’t going down without a fight.

\------

**404 DAYS SINCE BLACKOUT**

The sun rose on the four-hundred and fourth day since you were thrown into hell, the sunlight glistening off the snow, like a path of diamonds before you.  
For you, the road ahead resembled something more akin to a pathway of broken glass as you replayed the following events in your head over and over again. You, for the first time ever, were on a mission to kill without mercy. You fists, clenched with determination as you stared ahead, your hand in Jimin’s as you both strode ahead of Taehyung, Jin and In-Ha, ready to save your friends from the clutches of the psychotic people you had encountered far too many times for your liking.  
You brother, Namjoon, was once again taken away from you, along with Yoongi. Before you’d been afraid, alone and unsure of what to do. Left without any hope.  
This time, you were making your own hope, with the people you loved beside you. Walking beside the man you loved, his eyes watching you with pride and adoration as you had changed before him in the time you’d known him, from a frightened lonely little girl to a woman who was willing to fight to save the people she cared about. You looked back at him, your heart jumping excitedly in your chest, both grateful and worried to be about to fight alongside him.  
The compound wasn’t far from the city, though before it had seemed miles away from the place you’d escaped from, when you were unsure of what you were to find. Now, you knew exactly what your plan was, and as you passed fields, roads and derelict houses, your hunger for revenge only grew, like a fire hungrily eating up your stomach.  
By the time you reached the truck you’d abandoned on your escape, the sun was high in the sky – an indication it was now noon.  
“It’s not far from here.” You murmured, memories of your rushed dash from the compound flitting through your memory as you stared at the truck. Snow had gotten inside the open door, settling on the worn leather seat. The windows were frosted, and snow had almost submerged the tires completely.  
“We should take some time to rest.” Jimin said, his hand cupping the back of your neck as he looked at you, his face bruised from the crash. “You went through a lot, Y/N. You need an hour or so to prepare.”  
You were about to protest when your eyes caught sight of a worn out Jin as In-Ha practically held him up. He’d been beaten by the Rogues when they had taken Yoongi and Namjoon, and so soon after the crash, his injuries were starting to slow him down. You looked at Jimin, his eyes soft and brown as he scanned your face lovingly. You nodded, and he pulled you forward, placing a sweet, cold kiss on your forehead.  
Taking the time to prepare your weapons, Taehyung and In-Ha helped changed Jin’s bandages. He hadn’t sustained any major injuries, but a couple of his wounds from the crash had been further irritated when he’d endured whatever cruel punishment Jackson’s men had piled upon him. Jimin walked over to you, his jacket open, revealing the worn black sweater you loved so much. His hair was caked in snow and dried blood, but his eyes still twinkled whenever they looked at you.  
“How you holding up?” His hand went to your forehead, and you smiled shyly. “I hope you don’t catch pneumonia or something, you’ve been in those clothes for days.” His eyes, large with worry, met yours as you took his hand, threading your fingers through his.  
“I feel okay.” You said, lying. You were far from okay, but you knew once you had your brother back, you’d have nothing more to worry about. Unable to stop yourself, you leaned forward where you were sat on the side of the road, up on an old snow-covered bench, burrowing your face into the crook of Jimin’s neck, inhaling the warm, comforting scent of him. His arm came around your shoulders, and he simply held you for a while. No talking needed. He knew you better than you thought, and he knew when you didn’t need to talk.  
He breathed deeply, exhaling through his nose as his fingers tangled playfully in your hair. “You can do this, Y/N.” He murmured against your hairline. You pulled away slightly to look at him, your eyes locking, “I know you’re worrying. You don’t need to, you’re my brave, strong, beautiful girl, and you can get through anything.” Your chest fluttered at his words, and you were suddenly overwhelmed by your love for him, so much so that you couldn’t stop your mouth from saying the words before you even realised, terrified you might never get to say them.  
“I love you, Jimin.”  
His eyes softened, and a small smile crept onto his lips as he brought his forehead to yours. “I love you, too.” He shifted, looking directly into your eyes, “But this isn’t a time for goodbyes. We’re going to come out of this, you’ll see.”  
Though his words were spoken with fierce love and determination, you didn’t miss the spark of doubt behind his eyes. When his mouth met yours, he kissed you so deeply it almost took your breath away, and you could taste the fear on his tongue as it swept over yours. You returned his kiss with the same emotion, as if it was the last time you’d ever get to do it.  
By the time the sky began to darken, you’d successful made it to the compound.  
Jin, In-Ha, Taehyung, you and Jimin all looked ahead, watching the vague candlelight flicker in two of the rooms on the top floor. Your heart pounded ferociously in your chest, sending blood speeding around your body so fast you almost felt lightheaded with adrenaline. The gun you held in your hand became damp as your palms began to sweat, and as Taehyung made it to one of the far walls, you all followed, boots crunching quietly in the snow.  
“I can’t imagine they went without a fight,” In-Ha murmured, looking ahead towards the broken windows on the top floor. “Namjoon told me that Yoongi has had a vendetta against these guys for some time.”  
You turned to In-Ha, her hair shining silver in the moonlight. “What happened?”  
Muffled shouts could be heard inside the house, along with some other undecipherable noises, further in the distance. Like a rumbling sound. In-Ha blinked, pausing to listen to the sounds before continuing to speak as Jin and Jimin reloaded their guns. “Apparently Yoongi wasn’t alone when he got taken in by the Rogues. He had a girlfriend with him.” In-Ha shuddered as she went on, “Namjoon said that Yoongi had to watch as she was tortured. Then, for his final twisted move, Jackson locked her in a room and let her be attacked by a biter. Even worse, Yoongi had to watch it all.”  
It all seemed to come together, and the story helped you understand what made Yoongi such a closed off and weary person. You could only imagine the loss he must have suffered, and as your eyes drifted over to Jimin, you wondered how he even managed to continue.  
The compound was big enough for you all to sneak into unnoticed, due to the lack of guards. Debris from the house lay across the snow covered lawn, barely visible underneath the blanket of white which covered the entire landscape. Taehyung waved you all over, managing to find a door into the cellar. The rumbling was louder now, and you believed it was coming from the very place you were going into.  
As the door creaked open, the rumbling turned into an incessant thudding. When you stepped down the broken cellar stairs, you realised exactly where the sound was coming from. The entire view before you all drew gasps from your chests. You could hardly believe what you were seeing.  
There, in the cellar of the compound, was usual stuff found in cellars such as old wooden shelving, boxes and tools. But the thing that was out of place, the thing that truly drove a chill deep under your skin, was what for saw growling and moaning behind two large wooden doors, with steel pipes covering it like a prison cell – around thirty infected pushed against the doors, their arms stained with blood and gore, reaching out towards you all as their mouths hung open, revealing rotten teeth and more blackened blood oozing from their open jaws.  
“Holy fucking shit,” In-Ha gasped, “What the fuck is this?”  
You shook your head, unable to comprehend the sight before you, let alone explain it. Jimin took your hand, looking over at the heard of infected with just as much bewilderment as you.  
“I guess we figured out why there where none in the city.” Jin said, stood beside an equally shocked Taehyung. Taehyung looked up towards the staircase, nodding his head towards you and Jimin.  
“We should keep moving. God knows what they have planned for these.”  
Moving away from the groaning of the runners, you all gingerly made your way up the staircase, Taehyung leading the way and pushing the door at the top open slightly, pointing his shotgun through the crack before waving for you all to follow him.  
It was as you had left it, the place was still the picture of abandoned decadence. Nobody seemed to be around, but as you continued to move, you all heard voices in one of the rooms.  
You all agreed to surround the room, leaving no way out for them to escape. You didn’t care how you did it, as long as Jackson and his men were dead, and Yoongi and Namjoon were safe.  
As you and In-Ha neared the door, you heard what sounded like Namjoon crying out in pain. Unable to hold back, you braced yourself, slamming your body against the door and rushing inside as it swung open. Your heart hammered against your chest as your eyes followed suit, darting around the room at such velocity it seemed everything passed in a blur. When you took note of your surroundings, your gun clenched tightly in your hand, you barely had time to register that the room was empty, filled with a single radio powered by a generator in the far end of the room, before pain bloomed in your temple and your surroundings darkened to nothing.

 

Shifting, your body was lain on the cold ground, light flickering behind your eyelids. A strange scent filled your nostrils, so strong it awakened you.  
When you opened your eyes, you were met with the unfocused sight of Namjoon and Yoongi, tied up together, their faces bloody and bruised. The rest of the group lay unconscious beside you, and as you moved, they began to stir.  
“Looks like everyone is together again,” JB said, emerging from the shadows of the room, lit only by a small fire in the corner of the room, “How sweet.” He glared towards you and your friends, still sporting the yellowing bruises from the last beating they gave him. “But it does look like we’re missing someone.” He frowned, his hand placed on his chin, “Where’s that scrappy kid?”  
“Shut your mouth,” You snarled, wincing against the pain in your head. Blood had dried on the side of your face, and your hands shook half with shock and half with pure rage.  
“Y/N, don’t.” Namjoon said.  
You looked over at your brother who had been rendered powerless against the pathetic specimen Jackson controlled. “No.” You said, facing JB again as you stood up. “I’m not scared of them.”  
JB simply looked at you, seeming to see no immediate threat. How wrong he was.  
Sure, when they had knocked you out, they would have taken your gun. Any other visible weapons. What they didn’t find was the thing you’d kept hidden, ready for if, when, this happened. Reaching down the front of your shirt, into your bra, you watched with a clenched jaw as JB traced your every movement with his eyes, leering at you from where he stood in his bloodstained clothes, holding onto his rifle. You wrapped your fingers around the object you kept in there. It was small, but it was all you needed to get your hands on the gun he carried.  
In a quick movement, you pulled out the small blade, cutting your hand in the process as you lunged for JB before he could react. You brought out the blade, a piece of broken metal you had found in the city on your way to the compound, slicing through the vein in the side of his neck. Blood spilled from the wound instantly, prompting JB to drop the rifle as you had hoped and bring his hands to the fatal wound in his neck. His eyes widened and his face paled as you brought the rifle up, firing two shots into his knees, rendering him unable to walk – forced to die alone.  
You moved fast, Jimin standing and following you as he and the others used whatever they could around the room to make weapons until they found something better. Making your way to Namjoon, you untied him quickly as he eyed you as if he didn’t know who you were.  
“What happened to the girl who was afraid of everything?” He said breathlessly, his eyes wide and filled with something like pride.  
You glanced at him, “She grew up, Joonie.”  
After untying Yoongi, you all quickly made your way from the room stepping over JB’s quickly weakening body. Running through the house, the scent from earlier still present as you rushed breathlessly, you skidded to a stop when Yugyeom and Jackson stepped out from one of the rooms, Yugyeom firing a shot which hit you in the leg. You screamed out, dropping to the floor, your gun sliding from your hands as Jimin ran towards the pair, your heart stopping as Yugyeom fired his gun once again, firing a shot right into Jimin’s stomach. He abruptly stopped, his hands coming up to the spot where the bullet had hit him before he fell to his knees before you.  
“NO!” You screamed, your heart jumping into your throat as In-Ha ran forward, picking up your rifle from the floor and aiming it at Yugyeom’s head, firing a single shot. His body collapsed, lifeless as Jackson disappeared into one of the rooms. You scrambled across the floor towards Jimin as he lay clutching his stomach, his face twisted in beautiful agony. The wound was bleeding, and tears spilled from your eyes as your heart cracked in two.  
“P-please, no.” You whispered, covering his gunshot with your hands, the crimson colour staining your skin a horrific shade of red, “No, no, no…”  
Jimin’s eyes, unfocused, watched you as you took a piece of your shirt, ripping it so it bared your midriff, and brought it under and around Jimin’s waist, covering the wound. You worked with shaking hands, using the remainder of the material to tie around your leg, tightly knotting it as you winced.  
“You’re going to be okay.” You said, cupping Jimin’s face in your hands, the blood transferring onto his paling face. Taehyung sat beside you, taking over as you got up, looking at Jin and pointing towards Jimin. “Please, do everything you can. Please.” Tears soaked your cheeks, but as you turned back towards where Jackson had disappeared, you felt the hot flames of fury fill your stomach. You plucked the rifle from In-Ha’s hands as Namjoon shouted after you, and insisted he came with you.  
“No,” You said, “I need to do this myself.” You looked behind him at Jin who was beginning to take care of Jimin’s gunshot. From what you had learned in school, the bullet wouldn’t have hit any major organs. All you worried about was him bleeding out. “Please, make sure he’s okay. I love you, Joonie.”  
Namjoon’s eyes softened, and he looked back towards Jimin before his eyes met yours again, slightly glassy. He nodded once, pulling you into a tight embrace before whispering in your ear, “Do whatever you can to make him suffer, Y/N. I love you.”  
You pulled away, squeezing your brother’s hand before turning and finding your way through the maze of rooms, following the path Jackson took. You wound up at a staircase, and as you stepped down it, you quickly realised what the scent which had followed you around the house was.  
Gasoline.  
Hands tightening on the gun, you found yourself at the basement once again. The groaning from the infected more agitated as you rounded the corner to find Jackson standing beside the doors. He watched you, silent and still.  
You laughed, taunting him.  
“What’s wrong Jackson?” You smirked, “Cat got your tongue?”  
Jackson’s fists clenched, his jaw hard as he moved towards you. You held out the rifle, moving so it was pressed against his chest. He looked down at the gun, tilting his peroxide blonde head as his eyes moved up to your face again.  
“Shooting you like this would be too easy.” You sneered, “You deserve something slow and painful.”  
He smiled, sickeningly. Nodding his head to the wall behind him.  
On the wall, which was mostly bare, sat a digital clock. Or that’s what you thought it was. Following the wires with your eyes, you saw they were hooked up to the doors of the enclosure which housed the blood thirsty heard of infected.  
“What the fuck are you up to?” You whispered, more to yourself than Jackson. Using the moment to his advantage, Jackson moved quickly, elbowing your chin and sending you flying backwards, the gun still in your grasp as he attempted to take it from you. You both wrestled on the ground of the basement, the clock counting down until it seemingly would unleash the runners throughout the house.  
“You fucker!” You screamed, pointing the gun towards Jackson as you fired, missing him and hitting something metal, followed by a hissing which filled the room. The scent of gas quickly reached your nose, and you watched Jackson’s panicked expression, using the butt of the gun to hit him in the nose, pushing him from you as you stepped brutally hard on his leg until you heard a crack.  
Moving to his level as he groaned in pain, you roughly cupped his chin in your hands. “Try and worm your way out of this one.” You snarled, pushing him away and looking up at the clock.  
You had less than a minute to find everyone else and get yourselves out of the compound before either the house blew up, or the infected were released.  
Turning on your heel, you ran up the stairs, the scent of gas burning in your lungs as you coughed. You yelled until you heard voices, and soon you saw Namjoon and the others at the end of one of the corridors. Closing the doors behind you to buy some time, you ran to the group, relieved beyond words to find Jimin leaning on Taehyung and Jin. In-Ha and Namjoon met you halfway, seeing your anxious expression.  
“We have to get out of here!” You gasped, “Gas is leaking and around a hundred runners are on their way for us.”  
Namjoon nodded, and you all rushed to find an exit when the sound of breaking wood echoed through the house.  
“Fuck, go!” Taehyung said, grabbing onto In-Ha’s hand as she ran alongside you all. You clutched Namjoon’s arm, your hand on Jimin’s back as Yoongi pointed in the direction of two large glass doors which had been broken and boarded up with what appeared to be parts of a table.  
Growling was following you, distantly, and you almost allowed yourself a sigh of relief when you made it out of the house. You caught your breath, eyes darting around and your brows frowning when you realised someone was missing.  
“Yoongi?” Namjoon said, turning back to the house. Yoongi stood at the door way, waving at you all as he closed himself in.  
“No!” Namjoon said, moving to go get him as Yoongi mouthed for you all to run. You couldn’t believe what he was doing. You all watched as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a lighter.  
It dawned on you what was about to happen. Yoongi was sacrificing his life to save you all. Realising you had moments to move from the house, you pulled Namjoon away as Jin helped move Jimin with Taehyung. You all got far enough away to see Yoongi put his lighter in the air, nodding once at Namjoon, before his thumb moved a fraction, igniting a spark which turned into a flame as the entire house combusted, the deafening sound sending you all falling to the floor.  
Black smoke leaked from the house, and in the dawn, you all watched the flames lick up towards the pinkening sky.  
Yoongi had just saved all your lives, while losing his own. Despite you not knowing him well, you couldn’t thank him enough. Namjoon sobbed into his hands at losing both of his friends in the past two days, his back shaking with the force of his cries. You comforted him, sitting beside him in the snow as you all watched the house smoulder.  
When you all managed to start moving again, you helped Jimin, letting him lean on you. Bruised and battered, the six of you walked back towards the city. Back to where you had come from. Back into an uncertain future. Mourning the loss of the people you had lost; Jungkook, Yoongi, even Hoseok, you thanked god that you still had the people you had. Looking towards In-Ha, Taehyung and Jin you offered them a shaky smile, which they timidly returned, seeming to understand the significance of the moment.  
It wasn’t the end, far from it. It was the beginning of another chapter in this new, terrifying and challenging world. You started off uncertain, but you knew deep down, as long as you had the people you loved beside you, anything was possible.  
You squeezed Jimin’s hand, and continued on the path to whatever future you were about to make for yourselves.

**THE END.**


End file.
